Stranger Things 4
by sjmax
Summary: Following on from Stranger Things 3 - Hopper is alive and suffering brutality at the hands of the Russians. And they want El...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He didn't want to be afraid, but he couldn't help it. He was surrounded by a darkness that threatened to suffocate him. He knew panic was surging to free itself and he tried to cling on to something, anything, to stop it from engulfing him entirely.

He shifted and a pain exploded across his chest. He panted and felt the sweat soak his body, but at least the dark wasn't as terrifying now. He groaned, his agony consuming him.

He had always been brave, always been the one people looked to, but now he was alone and frightened. As his pain subsided, he felt the shame of his tears. He relaxed into the dark now, willing it to take his pain and his thoughts away.

* * *

Joyce stood outside Bauman's metal door. She hadn't seen him in over a month. She hesitated before knocking, but Bauman's voice suddenly reverberated around the courtyard; he had been waiting for her and watching.

"Are you going to just stand there Joyce, or would you like to come in?"

Joyce glanced at the camera that she knew was trained on her face. She sighed and nodded and pushed against the heavy door that yielded under her weight.

"Thanks for coming" he said as soon as she walked into his apartment. He looked nervous, but then Bauman always looked nervous. "Drink?" he asked walking to the kitchen with quick, jerky steps.

"It's a bit early for vodka isn't it?"

He looked at her as if she had mortally offended him. "Joyce" he said as if talking to a child. "It's never too early for vodka." He went to the freezer and took out a bottle and then he poured two shots. He pushed a glass towards Joyce, but she shook her head. "Fair enough" he said and drained both glasses before pouring another. He stared at her intently with dark eyes that liked to hide behind his glasses.

"Why am I here Murray?" Joyce asked.

"Sit." Bauman walked towards her and plonked himself down. In front of him on a coffee table was a square tin; he put his glass of vodka down on top of it. He sat back into his armchair. "Sit" he said again. "I don't bite Joyce."

Joyce sighed and perched on the edge of the sofa clutching her bag to her. She liked Bauman, but sometimes his strangeness was a little too intense and his intensity a little frightening.

"How are you?" he asked.

Joyce smiled and shrugged. "You know, the kids are doing well and I'm just doing my thing. I miss it here though." She laughed. "I can't believe I'm saying that." She released her handbag, putting it on to the couch beside her. "I had my babies in that house" she said quietly.

Bauman nodded. He didn't much like kids, but he understood the sentiment.

"You know things don't just go away because we run away."

Joyce frowned. "I wasn't running away Murray."

"You were a little bit." He leant forward and picked up his vodka taking a swig. "I mean I understand of course, what happened to Will and the others and then Hopper…"

"Why am I here?" Joyce asked again, trying to keep the irritation from her voice. She didn't want to talk about Hopper; couldn't talk about Hopper.

Bauman tapped his free hand on the edge of the sofa. Then he downed the rest of his vodka and placed it carefully back on top of the metal tin.

"What if I told you he was still alive?"

* * *

They had sat through lunch and it had been excruciating. All either of them wanted was to be alone. Finally, Mike's mum, who saw the way they looked at each other, and who, understandably, would rather chaperone them for the rest of the day, allowed them their freedom.

"Joyce will be back here around 5" she said to El. She smiled fondly, but the smile was for her son. It wasn't that she didn't like El, but trouble followed her around and she felt as if she was holding the fabric of her family together with her fingernails. Whenever El was around, things seemed to fall apart.

"Do you have any plans?" she asked. "I promised Joyce you wouldn't go far."

Mike looked at El. He didn't care where they went.

"Can we go downstairs for old time's sake Mike" El said quietly with a smile. "And maybe I can see the others too?"

Mike beamed and readily agreed. He knew his mum wouldn't be able to snoop if they were downstairs.

"Come on" he said tugging her hand.

Downstairs, the shadows sat in their corners and El and Mike settled into the comfort of the old sofa. It was a gloomy room, but comfortable. It was familiar and friendly and was a haven for all the kids. Of all the terrible things that had happened, that room, Mike's basement, seemed to be the only place untouched by the terror of the Upside Down and the horror of the world above their heads.

El's hand was still nestled in Mike's. He looked down at it. His mum and dad said he was too young to be in love, but he would do anything for El. He stroked her hand and looked at her. She was staring at him, but her eyes held so much pain. She rarely looked truly happy.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently suddenly fearful that she wanted to break up with him. He had been warned that long distance relationships never worked. She smiled though and leant towards him in answer. The moment their lips touched, nothing else seemed to matter. The weeks apart dissolved into nothing.

They kissed slowly, their bodies not touching, still unsure of themselves, but knowing they felt better in the other's arms and then El pulled away and rested her forehead against Mike's. He saw she had tears in her eyes.

'This is it' he thought. 'That was her goodbye kiss'. He swallowed and waited. He would try and take it like a man. She deserved to be happy and he wasn't going to ever stand in her way.

"I have something to tell you" she said softly. She wouldn't look at him, but he saw a tear snake down her cheek. She sighed and then sat back against the squishy sofa, but she kept hold of Mike's hand. He looked down again and saw that her knuckles had gone white.

"What's happened El?" he said. She looked at him.

"He's alive" she whispered. She took a deep breath. She had been holding onto this for a long time. She had thought she must be wrong at first, but now she was certain, as certain as she could be and Mike was the only person she could tell who wouldn't think she was mad. She squeezed his hand even harder than before. "He's alive" she said again and this time her voice broke and her face crumpled. "He's in so much pain" she said gasping for breath. "They've done terrible things to him and he's alone and it's dark and…" She stopped and let her tears flow freely. "We have to save him Mike" she said. And with the power of love and friendship bolstering his heart, Mike nodded emphatically. Hopper had given up everything for El and as much as he had scared Mike with his blusterous ways, she loved him and that was good enough for Mike.

"Just tell me what you've seen" he said and El told him, and in the corners, the dark shadows stirred.

* * *

"Don't do this to me Murray" Joyce said. Ever since Hopper had died, she had felt the cold, consuming weight of guilt and remorse. It was festering away inside her, giving her no peace. She tried not to look back, to wonder 'what if', but every night, alone in her bed, the thoughts crept into her mind like relentless vines. She blamed herself for Hopper's death and she blamed herself for not giving them both a chance of happiness before he had died.

She blinked back tears. "Please" she said. "I can't do this." She reached for her handbag and stood up.

Bauman stared ahead. He sat there, still and silent for a moment, but then quite slowly, he reached out and took hold of the tin box that had been sitting on the table. Then he looked at her and Joyce saw something in his eyes that made her heart lurch. She sat back down.

"In this box" he said. "There are three things and I want you to have them." Joyce went to speak, but Bauman put up a hand. "There is money in here, a lot, and it's for you, because if you're going to do this, you'll need it." He smiled. "The Russians are easily bribed."

"Russians?"

Bauman nodded. "That's right, the Russians. They have him."

Joyce shook her head. "Murray, no. He died. I saw him."

Bauman smiled and then, quite suddenly, laughed. He put the box down again and then swooped over to his small kitchen, his dressing gown flapped behind him like a cape.

"Are you sure I can't tempt you?" he asked pouring himself another vodka. Joyce shook her head and watched as he drank thirstily and then poured another. He sighed. "In case you've ever noticed Joyce, I'm not one for displaying emotions or even speaking, really, unless it's absolutely necessary. I don't have the capacity to enjoy friendships like most people. Actually, I don't like most people." He grinned at her morosely. "But I like you, and your weird kids, and I liked Hopper. Correction" He put up a thin finger. "I _like _Hopper" He swigged his vodka down and shivered as he finally felt the fiery liquid travel through his veins.

"He's alive" he said and poured yet another shot. "You have money and you can help him, but they're watching me and when you leave here today, I am going to disappear."

Joyce stood up and walked over to him.

"Do you realise what you're saying to me Murray? I mean, do you have any idea of the agony of the past few weeks?" Joyce felt the heat of tears, but she blinked them away. "I am trying to rebuild my life; those kids need stability now and you're telling me he's _alive_?" She shook her head. "I saw him Murray. I said goodbye, I saw him die…" Her voice broke and her tears spilled over. She brushed them away impatiently.

"Look in the tin Joyce" Bauman said.

For a moment they stared at each other, then Joyce sighed and walked back to the table. She picked up the tin and opened it. Inside was a wad of money, a scrap of paper with a name on she didn't recognise and a cassette tape.

"Proof" he said. He stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to make a decision, but she stood immobile, too afraid to believe, too afraid to walk away. It was enough for him. He walked over to Joyce and gently took the tape from her and then he walked across the room, his bare feet merging with the cream, threadbare carpet. Joyce watched him when she wanted to just run. She watched him and waited as he turned her world upside down.

Murray Bauman, purveyor of conspiracy theories, suspicious of everyone, friend of no one, but a warrior of injustice, put the tape into his cassette player and pressed down the black button that said 'play'. He stared at the machine as white noise filled the room.

Joyce realised she wasn't breathing. She slowly let a breath trickle out and swallowed as the white noise continued and then it stopped suddenly, and a man's voice filled the room. An angry, aggressive voice. There was another voice too, but they were speaking in another language. Joyce only spoke English, but she recognised the thick Russian accent. She looked at Bauman for translation, but he continued staring at the cassette player. The first Russian man began shouting and there was another noise, a noise that made Joyce's blood run cold. She held her breath again and closed her eyes.

"Please don't be him, please don't be him" she prayed quietly to herself as the sound of a man beating another man reverberated around Bauman's enclosed apartment. And then she heard him:

"Stop…" and then the sound of a body being pummelled mercilessly. "I don't know what you want, just tell me what you want…"

Bauman looked at Joyce and pressed the little button that said 'stop'. The room was plunged into silence.

"Can I have a vodka?" Joyce asked.


	2. Chapter 2

There was an explosion of noise and loud talking. For a moment Mike thought the ceiling of the basement might collapse, but then the door was yanked open and Dustin appeared. He stood there smiling, the glow of light behind him bathed him in an almost spiritual way, but then he opened his mouth and the illusion of divinity disappeared.

"Christ on a bike" he shouted from the top of the stairs. He hurtled down them and for a terrifying moment, Mike and El thought he might launch himself at them. They hurriedly got to their feet and braced themselves. Dustin's grin had grown during his descent down the stairs so that his eyes had disappeared almost entirely. He dragged Mike into a bear hug, clapping him loudly on his back and then discarding him hurriedly, he appraised El.

"My second favourite girl" he said still grinning. "Thank god you're back. Mike's been a pain. We've all missed you. Have you missed us? What's it like living with Will?" He looked around. "Where is Will? Where's Joyce? Are you staying here? How long for?"

"Dustin!" Dustin stopped dead and his face ejected his smile. Despite herself, El grinned. "Don't you ever shut up Dustin?" Mike sat back down again and tugged El down beside him.

"I stand in silence before you" Dustin said and gave a mock bow. "Seriously" he looked around as if to check no one was hiding from him. "Will?"

"He wanted to give me and Mike some time" El said flushing red. "He's with Lucas, but they'll be here soon." Dustin grinned again, but then almost immediately, he let it fade. "Hang on one second." He looked between them both. "I've seen that look before" He stared with narrowed eyes as if trying to read their minds.

"No, no, no, no!" Dustin walked in a tight circle and faced them again. "I've got a girlfriend" he said as if the fact expunged him from ever having to answer to anything. He shook his head and sighed, slumping so that he stood shorter than he was before. "Out with it then" he said. "What's happened?"

"Sit down" Mike said.

Dustin pulled over a chair and sat opposite the couch. He steepled his hands and leant forward. "Well?" he said.

"Hopper's alive" Mike said. "And we have to find him."

* * *

The man was dragged back onto the chair. He was vaguely aware of his surroundings, the dark, dripping walls, the small window that afforded a postage stamp view of a grey sky and the cold that crept through his flesh and feasted on his bones. He ached with it.

"I'm so co-cold" he said. Every breath he took hurt his lungs.

"And we will give you warmth if you call her to you."

He shook his head. He wasn't even sure who they meant. He was certain he had lived a life before the cell, but he could hardly remember it. All he knew now was pain and cold. The man who was standing over him leering, threw a punch at the side of his face and then followed up with another punch to his stomach. He bent over gagging. He gasped for air as another blow landed on the side of his head. He couldn't take much more of this.

Once more he fell to the wet, filthy floor and once more they dragged him up and threw him into the chair. Another man who looked out of place with a pristine uniform on and a smooth, fresh face bent down low. He smiled; his teeth were grey, like the colour of the room.

"We will make every day a living hell for you" he said. He gently stroked a strand of hair across from the man's sweating face. It was scarier than the punches and aggression of the other men. "We know you were a policeman once" he said softly. "Do you recall?" He smiled and patted his cheek with the flat of his hand. Then he straightened himself and sighed. He spoke in Russian and the man was suddenly lifted to his feet. "Perhaps a cold shower will help?" he said as if he suggested a nice stroll in the sunshine.

The men had laughed at him as she stood there cowering, the freezing cold jet of water had burnt his flesh and now he was left kneeling on the bare floor. They told him he had to wait with his hands on top of his head and if they found him otherwise, they would beat him with a stick. He had soon found out that they meant what they had said; red welts from their violent attacks covered his body, several of them were bleeding, but even with the threat of more brutality, he couldn't stay in that position. He felt every muscle quivering in agonising pain. He thought he had been cold before, but it was different now. He felt it gnawing away at his brain.

He could do nothing except wait for them to come back and torture him further. He was without hope and he felt his life draining away, but it would be a relief. In the dark, dank cell that had been his home for the past few weeks, the man had nothing left in him to fight with.

Or so he thought.

As he waited, he felt as if he was spiralling towards hell; he was afraid and he was alone, but someone, somewhere loved him and he remembered their touch. And so, he came back. In an instant, he opened his eyes and saw light and he surged towards it, his spirit strong though his body was weakened. He was like a swimmer bursting through the surface of the water and in that moment, he knew who he was.

He was Hopper and they wanted El, but he would never give her to them. Ever. He breathed deeply and for the first time in days, calmly, and then the door swung open and two men walked in.

* * *

El stood up.

"I can't" she said. She looked around and her eyes landed on Mike. He smiled at her, but she could see he wanted her to do it too. "It doesn't work like it used to…" She floundered and Mike saw how scared she was.

"It's okay, don't sweat it." Mike stood up and put his arm around El's shoulders protectively. He looked around the room defiantly. "We need to trust her, okay? She would do it if she could."

"Would she?" All eyes turned towards Lucas. He shrugged.

"Shut up Lucas!" Mike said angrily.

Lucas looked at Dustin for backup, but got nothing except a quizzical glance. "I'm not blaming you" he said to El directly, then he looked at Mike. "And Mike, stop jumping to her defence every time I say something you don't want to hear." He sighed. "It's just that I imagine it'd be a pretty scary thing to do, you know, looking for Hopper when she thought he was dead and…" He smiled a rueful smile. "And we all saw what happened before, you know, with the Mind Flayer."

Mike shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"He's right" Dustin said. "I mean, it makes sense doesn't it?" He looked at Mike. "Doesn't it?"

"I don't think she should do it." Will said. Everyone turned to look at Will. He looked younger than everyone else as if growing up was beyond his reach, as if the Upside Down had kept the version of Will that was maturing. He looked at El. "You know it's stupid right?" He stood up and looked at everyone then. "If he is alive, then he's in danger and if he's in danger, we are too and she's the only one who can lead them to us." Everyone saw the fear in Will's eyes.

"Who's them?" Dustin said. He looked around the room making sure everyone was as confused as he was. He wasn't sure if he had missed something.

"The Russians." Everyone turned to look at Joyce. She was walking down the stairs with a strained smile on her face. She looked at El. "I'm sorry El" she said quietly.

This time the silence dragged on. El walked up to Joyce and studied her face. The woman who was trying to fill Hopper's shoes, who kissed her on her forehead every night and who made her food and cuddled her if she needed it (and sometimes when she didn't). She knew she cared for her, loved her even, but she wasn't Hopper.

"Do you know, for sure?" she said quietly. "Is he really alive?"

Joyce looked around the room and then back to El. She took a deep breath; "he's still alive" she said.

El threw herself on Joyce crying and laughing, then she turned to Mike and hugged him too. Dustin laughed, but Lucas and Will both glared at him.

"Am I missing something?" he said. He looked around in disgust. "Hopper's alive and we're all standing around like we did at his funeral…" He trailed off.

"Shut up Dustin" Mike and Lucas said together. And then Will laughed and El, with tears streaming down her cheeks laughed too.

"We need to find him" El said wiping her eyes. "So, I'll do it, I'll look for him."

"No" said Joyce quickly. "There's another way."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jonathan looked at the name on the scrap of paper that his mum had reluctantly given him. It wasn't easy persuading Joyce to let him and Nancy follow up Bauman's lead, but he knew Nancy had developed a caustic side from working alongside a group of contemptuous misogynists and she knew how to get her way. She was on a mission to expose everything that had taken place since the discovery of the Upside Down and if Murray Bauman said the cassette was authentic and that Hopper was alive, she believed him and meant to find out where he was being kept.

"Are you ready?" Jonathan looked at her and smiled.

Nancy took a deep breath and nodded. "I think so" she replied. She let Jonathan take her hand and squeeze it. Since they had been together, he had changed her life, made her feel as if she could do anything. She checked her reflection in the rear- view mirror. He believed in her and now she believed too.

"Let's do it" she said and got out of car.

Nancy and Jonathan looked up at the white building and tried not to feel intimidated by the rows of glossy windows that watched them. They walked through the double doors and Nancy casually strolled to the elevator; a quick glance at a floor plan told them that 'Henley and Stratford' was on the top floor.

They knew they wouldn't get far.

"Can I help you?" The security guard had watched them walk past his desk without a second glance. The woman had dark glasses on and the guy trailed behind her like a long suffering boyfriend. "I'm not expecting visitors today."

"And why on earth would I report myself as a visitor?" Nancy said glaring at him. She walked over to his desk and slowly removed her sun- glasses. The guard sat up a little straighter in his chair. "Are we really doing this?" she said and cocked her mouth in an arrogant smile. Jonathan watched on with a mixture of pride and disbelief.

Nancy stared at the guard and the guard, flustered now, look down for inspiration. His clipboard had the list of names of everyone coming and going and the times they came and went. Nancy sighed in irritation.

"Give it to me" she said holding out her hand. Jonathan was beginning to feel sorry for the guard. The guard handed the clipboard to Nancy and passed a pen over the counter and Nancy, without taking her eyes from the guard, placed a large 'X' on the sheet. She pushed the clipboard back to him.

"There" she said smugly. "I've signed my name and just so you know, if you ever stop me from walking in and seeing my father again, I'll have him sack you in a heartbeat." She put her glasses back on and walked back to the lift. Jonathan jabbed his finger on the 'up' button and the doors opened smoothly. The guard watched them disappear with an uneasy feeling in his stomach and wondered if he might have been more suited to security in the newly opened mall.

"You are awesome" Jonathan whispered.

"I know" Nancy said in reply. She looked at him and grinned.

Nancy rapped on the door and walked straight into the opulent office of 'David Henley'.

The tall thin man looked up from his mahogany desk and frowned.

"Hello" he said. "Who might you be?"

Uninvited Nancy and Jonathan sat down on the chairs that faced him. He watched them cautiously then smiled. "Well you've somehow managed to get past the security guard so I imagine you have something quite pressing to talk to me about, but I have a meeting in ten minutes so please, don't waste my time." He leant back and smiled.

"Hopper" Jonathan said.

Something flickered across the man's face and then disappeared. He sat up and glanced quickly around the room.

"Pardon?" he said, but the confidence had gone from his voice.

"Tell us where he is" Nancy said. She smiled. "We know you know, and we have money…"

The man laughed, cutting her off. "Do I look like I need your money?"

Nancy laughed too. "I wasn't offering a bribe" she said. "I was pointing out that I have money to pay someone to _persuade _you to tell us where he is."

The man swallowed and his smile dissolved.

"Please leave" he said.

Jonathan leant over the desk. "Give us what we want" he said. "Or we'll go to the press and tell them all about your weekends away." He leered at him. "What do you think your wife would say?"

The man clasped his hands together and appraised them both in silence, but then he laughed scornfully.

"What you want is impossible" he said. "I don't have the information and I couldn't give it to you even if I did." He paused and sat back watching them, then he shook his head. "You're just kids aren't you? And you have absolutely no idea who you are dealing with."

"You're wrong" Nancy said feeling a stab of irritation.

He cocked his eyebrow at her. "It's bigger than Goliath" he said pointedly. "Do yourself a favour, go home and go back to playing mummies and daddies." Then he smiled with derision. "And furthermore, my wife doesn't care what I get up to at the weekends, as long as I pay for her private tennis lessons with Sebastian."

Nancy stood up ready to fight, but something in the way the man looked at her stopped her. He turned to Jonathan.

"Persuade your girlfriend to drop this or it will get personal, do you understand?" He leant over his desk and almost imperceptibly, pushed a newspaper across the desk towards them. Then he leant back again.

"Goodbye" he said. He glanced at the paper. "And I'll have to fire the security guard now so you might want to apologise on the way out."

Jonathan frowned and stood up. He picked the paper up slowly, expecting something else, but the man had turned himself around so that he was now looking out from one of the many windows that peered down over the city.

* * *

"Why are you mad?" Dustin aimed a pea shooter at Lucas.

"I'm not mad, but I will be if you fire that at me."

Dustin looked around the basement. "Hands up everyone who thinks Lucas is mad?"

Mike and El both put up their hands and Dustin aimed the pea shooter at Will, but there was something in his expression that stopped him in his tracks.

"You okay Will?" Dustin looked at Mike in mild panic. If Will looked worried, it quite often meant there was something to be worried about. He wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, but if Will was uneasy, Dustin was scared.

Will tried smiling, but it didn't work very well.

"It's never going to be over is it?" He looked around at his friends; he eyes settled on El. "I'm glad Hopper's alive" he said. "I really am, but it just means it's not over." He picked at a thread on the arm of the battered old armchair, then he sighed. "It feels like it will never be over." He blinked furiously, hating the hot tears that stung his eyes, but he wouldn't cry; he wouldn't let them see how weak he was, how afraid he felt. "I think I can hear my brother" he said quietly. "I'm gonna go." He walked up the stairs leaving the basement heavy with an uneasy silence.

"So, what _are _you mad about Lucas?" Dustin said, expunging the silence. "Is it girlfriend trouble? Where is Max anyway?"

"Yeah, where is Max?" Lucas looked at El quickly as if she had no right to care. El shrugged. "She's my friend."

"I did send a code red" Dustin said disapprovingly.

"Her brother died Dustin, if you remember!"

"Her douche bag of a brother, sure I remember." Dustin blew into his pea shooter and it ricocheted off a beam and landed on Lucas's head. Lucas plucked it from his hair, glaring at Dustin.

"He saved my life Dustin" El said quietly.

"And that was great and noble an' all" Dustin continued. "But, you know, he was a hose-head and he treated Max like really, _really _badly in case you've all forgotten."

There was noise from upstairs. They all looked up.

Mike stood up and held his hand out to El.

"Come on" he said. "Let's go and find out where Hopper is."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was packed in the Wheeler's dining room, but Mrs Wheeler looked decidedly uneasy. She was glad her husband was at work because he would have never put up with such a scene. As it was, she wondered how on earth she could get them to leave. She watched Joyce in the thick of it. She didn't know why, but there was something about the woman she just didn't like. It wasn't just that she dressed in such poor taste and never had her hair set (although that was a great part of it), but it was the smoking, the slouching and her language. And now she was responsible for El's upbringing. She glanced at the orphan and felt a wave of pity.

Perhaps if she called the Welfare department, they might intervene, but what if they asked her to take on the role of foster mom! No, that would never do. She was positive that Mike would outgrow El soon enough, but to have them living in the same house. She shuddered at the thought. It was bad enough getting used to Nancy swooning all over Jonathan.

She was a kind woman, an understanding woman, but she was mightily glad that Joyce had left Hawkins and taken Jonathan and El with her.

So why then was she back and taking over her dining room? She offered refreshments, but her offer was politely declined. She felt as if she was intruding in her own home. She looked at the clock; nearly 3pm, perhaps no one would miss her if she snuck off for a siesta.

"There has to be something in here" Joyce was going through the newspaper for the fifth time. She looked at Jonathan and Nancy. "Are you sure he didn't give you any clue?"

Nancy rolled her eyes and sat down next to El and Mike. Jonathan, like his mom, kept pouring over the newspaper. He sighed in irritation.

"No, Mom, for the hundredth time of asking, but he wanted us to have it, so there has to be something here."

Dustin took the paper out of Jonathan's hands. "Allow me" he said gallantly. "I have an eye for these things, don't I Lucas?" Lucas shrugged and stared stonily ahead. He was beginning to feel decidedly out of place. He looked at Will and felt a wave of pity; no one seemed to care what effect this development was having on him. He looked as if he was going to throw up.

In the midst of all the chaos, there was a knock at the door. Mrs Wheeler who was just about to creep upstairs, went to answer it. She hoped and prayed it wasn't one of her neighbours come to be nosey. She was relieved and horrified in equal measure; standing on her doorstep was a child who didn't look like she had had a bath in a while and had never once taken a comb to her hair. She smiled wanly, reminding herself the child had recently lost a brother.

The ginger haired child smiled back.

"Hi Mrs Wheeler, can I come in?"

"Max!" Dustin called out loudly seeing her standing at the door. Lucas jumped up and a big grin lit up his face. "Finally," Dustin said. "It smiles."

The grin was replaced by a malevolent glare.

Max bounded straight past Mrs Wheeler. She smiled happily around the room and went over to El and Mike.

"Hi" she said and El jumped up and gave her a hug. "Missed you."

"Missed you too" El said. They were so different, but she loved Max and if she could choose to be like anyone, it would be her. She had a free spirit she admired, and she was brave and funny as well as being pretty and she could do all the things the boys could do too, better even.

"So" Max said looking at everyone and frowning at the bustle. "What have I missed?"

"Hopper's alive" Lucas said quickly, pleased to beat Dustin to it.

"What?" Max looked back at El. "How? Where?"

Joyce looked up from the dining room table. She shook her head.

"We don't know where" she said tiredly. "He's being held somewhere, and we have this newspaper and we think" she looked at Jonathan and narrowed her eyes. "We _think _there is a clue in here somewhere, but we have no idea where."

Max shrugged. "Have you checked the personals?"

"What?" Joyce wasn't sure what she meant.

"If there's a clue anywhere, it will be in the personal ads…" She looked around at everyone. "Has no one seen 'Desperately Seeking Susan'?" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Wait" Nancy said standing up and snatching the newspaper back from Dustin. "He said something about it being 'personal'…" She began to flick through the pages frantically.

"Towards the back" Max said. She looked at Lucas. "Hi."

"Hi" he replied. He wanted to go to her and take her hand like Mike had El's hand, but he didn't know how to behave around her lately. Ever since Billy had died, she had been distant and sad, and she cried all the time. He wasn't even sure if he was her boyfriend anymore.

Only Joyce, Jonathan and Nancy never noticed the awkwardness between them.

"If you need some advice on girls" Dustin whispered to Lucas. "I'm your man."

Lucas stared at Dustin for a moment. "Shut up" he said tersely.

"So, what's Desperately Seeking Susan?" El asked.

"You have to see it" Max said. "I mean, once we find Hopper…"

The chaos in the Wheeler house continued for quite some time. The newspaper was spread out on the table with every personal ad being trawled for any significance to the whereabouts of Hopper.

"This is like looking for a needle in a haystack" Joyce said holding an unlit cigarette; her eyes roved around the room scouring for an ashtray. "You know what I think?" She said. "I think he was having a game with you kids. I knew I should have gone!" She saw the big glass ashtray and knew from its gleam, that it was for decoration only. She jammed the cigarette back into the pack and sank down, frustrated, onto a chair.

"What does it mean if we can't find anything?" Mike asked. Joyce looked up at him and then looked around the room; she saw how pale Will looked, how frightened he was. She looked at El too and saw the hope in her eyes. She knew she wouldn't rest until she did everything she could to rescue Hopper.

"It means" she said. "That it's not going to be easy, but we need to take a step back for a moment and rethink." She stood up again. "Jonathan, I need you to take Will home."

"No way Mom, I'm in this thing. I've always been in this." Jonathan looked at his brother quickly and felt a sudden wave of guilt, but Will smiled at him.

"It's okay" he said quietly. "I know you're trying to protect me Mom, but no matter where I am, it's not going away and I'd rather be with you, and my friends."

"I'm not putting you in danger baby." Joyce said going to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Then she looked at El. "And you have to go too."

El jumped up. "No" she said calmly, coldly. "You are not sending me away, this is Hopper…"

"Yes, and he would never forgive me if I let something happen to you."

"Please Joyce" El felt the hot tears in her eyes, but she wasn't ashamed of them. "I need to be here. I need to help."

"But you can't help El." Joyce walked over to her and studied her for a moment. She smiled gently at her and touched her face. "You're weak and tired and this is huge, too big for you, and…"

"That's it!" Nancy jumped up. She grabbed the newspaper. "That's what he said. I thought it was weird. He said, it was 'too big', that it was 'goliath'." She smiled at Jonathan. "He did give us a clue!"

Jonathan smiled back and together they poured over the newspaper again.

"This doesn't change anything" Joyce said quietly to El. She looked at Mike and then at Max and then turned to Dustin and Lucas and finally Will. She smiled. "All of you" she said. "You all need to just _not_ be involved in this."

El felt a wave of anger and frustration, but she knew it was hopeless to argue with Joyce. If there was one thing she had learnt since living with her, it was that she was just as stubborn as Hopper.

* * *

El and Max were sitting on the bonnet of Joyce's green Ford Pinto. Mike, Lucas and Will had been coerced by Dustin to discuss something 'in private' between the original D and D team. Dustin had ignored the furious glare Max gave him and brushed aside Mike's and Lucas's protests.

"It must feel weird being back here" Max said to El.

"S'ok" El said. She shrugged. "It still feels the same." She looked at Max. "How about you? Lucas was being a bit weird."

Max raised her eyebrows. "Boys _are _weird, aren't they?" El laughed and nodded. Max sighed. "I don't know. I really like him still, but ever since Billy died, I've just not wanted to be with him like a boyfriend, you know? And then he gets all serious and thinks he's doing something wrong."

"There's more to life than stupid boys" El said with a grin.

"I said that didn't I?" Max laughed. "I guess I was right." She looked at El. "So, how is it living with Joyce?"

"She tries really hard" El said leaning her head onto her knees. "I think she's sad though, I can hear her crying at night."

They sat there for a moment not speaking; the silence was spoilt by the buzzing of insects enjoying the sun.

"So, how did you first find out?" Max asked staring directly at El. "Did you – see him?"

El stared back and then slowly nodded her head.

"It's not like before" she whispered. "I've been getting these headaches, really bad ones and Joyce makes me lie down with a wet cloth over my head and eyes." She squinted at the sun. "Sometimes, they last for hours." In the distance, a dog barked and for a second all the insects fell silent. She looked back at Max. "I was lying there and outside the window, someone was mowing their lawn." She screwed her face up as she remembered. "The noise went on and on; it seemed to be inside my head and suddenly, I saw him…" She looked at Max as tears rolled down her cheeks. "He was in so much pain" she said.

Max put an arm around El's shoulders.

"We'll find him El" she said. El nodded. She could feel the heat of the car scorching her legs, but it was nice to feel warm. She had felt Hopper's cold and it had stayed with her for days. "How did you get this guy's name, the one hiding clues in newspapers?"

"I told Joyce I had seen Hopper and she didn't believe me at first, told me it must have been a nightmare." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "She saw him _die." _She sniffed. "But then she got this call to come back to Hawkins to see Murray Bauman. He told her he had news for her. I think I knew then. I think she did too, but she tried to pretend." She sighed. "He gave her the name, told her Hopper was alive."

"And then she believed you?"

El smiled sadly. "And then she believed me."

"So, whatever they're looking for in there, a clue or whatever, can't _you_ just find him again and tell us where he is?"

El shook her head. She stared at Max and took a deep breath.

"When I saw Hopper" she said "there was something else there…" She paused as she heard Dustin's voice carry across from the garage.

"What?"

"I don't know, but I heard it" she whispered. "And it was waiting for me."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Hello ladies" Dustin said. He smiled at Max and El and then cleared his throat in dramatic fashion. Then his bravado, with his smile, fled and he looked at Mike. "Mike?"

"What?" Mike shook his head. "You said you were the spokesperson."

"But you're more suited to the job in hand" Dustin said out of the corner of his mouth. "It should be you."

"Spit it out" Max said belligerently.

Lucas stepped forward. "You should go home" he said directly to Max. "And El, you need to go home with Jonathan." He looked at Dustin, Mike and Will. "Right guys?"

The three of them were shuffling around in the dirt, a bit like chickens, staring intently at the ground, but there was a general murmur of assent.

Max jumped down from the bonnet of the car. She glared at Lucas who took a step back and then she glared at them all. El jumped down too.

"Are you _serious?_" Max said. She was fuming with rage. Her cheeks flushed red. "You better explain yourself?" She crossed her arms.

"Mike?" El was waiting for him to look at her, but he still seemed fixated on the ground. "Mike?" she said again.

Mike shrugged. "I'm scared for you okay" he said quietly.

"Are you freaking _kidding_ me?" The red flush on Max's cheeks had spread to her ears. "Seriously Mike, you're scared for El?"

"I told you they wouldn't like it" Lucas mumbled.

"It doesn't matter!" Mike said in frustration. He looked at Max. "Yes, okay. I am scared for El." He finally looked at her and smiled sheepishly. "It's true" he said. "I am scared for you and I don't want you to go looking for Hopper. We don't know where he is or what sort of danger he's in and last time…" He paused and looked at Max. "Last time, Billy died and I don't want you to die."

"She's not gonna die Mike!" Max said angrily.

"You don't know that!" Mike glared at her. "How can you even say that?" He looked at El and it bothered him that he couldn't work out what she was thinking. "I'm sorry" he said, "but Joyce was right, you should go home with Jonathan."

El felt a prickle of irritation. "But Will's one of the boys right, so he gets to stay I suppose." She crossed her arms, mimicking Max.

Mike looked at Will. "Actually, I think Will should go too."

"What?" Will looked at Mike in surprise. Mike shrugged awkwardly.

"I'm sorry Will, but you're always looking over your shoulder here. I know you. You don't feel safe and you should go home."

"Well said" Dustin said.

"Bull crap" Max said coldly. "The only way we've beaten this before is because we've worked as a team."

"But we're not trying to beat anything this time" Lucas said quietly. "Joyce just wants to go and find out if Hopper is still alive."

Max stared at Lucas. She felt betrayed.

"I don't need anyone making decisions for me" she said coldly. "Billy was my _brother _and I know he was a jerk, but if anyone has a right to be part of this, whatever this is, it's me." She paused, sighing and shook her head at Lucas. "I don't need protecting" she said.

"Neither do I" El looked at Mike. "I've never needed protection" she said pointedly. "I'm not going to die Mike, and I am _not _going to be sent home like a child if there's a chance Hop needs me."

Mike felt a deep flush in his cheeks. He wanted to protect El, because he was scared of losing her, not because he didn't believe she was brave or brilliant and that if she set her mind to it, she could do anything.

"Just answer me this" he said. He stepped closer to her and stared into her eyes; he waited until she looked back. "When you saw Hopper before, you said it was different, that you couldn't reach him right?" El nodded. Everyone was listening. Mike took her hand and gently squeezed her fingers. "And you also said that you had felt something else there, something bad…" He stopped. "You said it scared you and that you thought it was waiting for you." El nodded again, just a slight inclination of her head. "If Joyce can't find him, will you go back to look for him?"

El didn't answer; she was scared of what she had felt, but she couldn't just sit by and do nothing, even if it meant she might be in danger.

A door slammed and Nancy walked out of the house holding the newspaper; she leant against the car despondently.

El withdrew her hand from Mike's grasp and turned away from the intensity of his gaze.

"There's nothing" Nancy said. "We've gone through the paper a hundred times, but there's no mention of Hopper or anything remotely connected to him, so…" She looked around at everyone and smiled ruefully. "For now, we do nothing."

There was no sound except for a fly buzzing around mournfully. The door opened again and Jonathan walked out. He leant against the car next to Nancy.

"What's going on here?" he asked sensing the tension. He looked directly at Will who looked a bit lost. "You okay?" Will nodded. "We'll leave soon, okay?" Will glanced at Mike and nodded again.

"I'm sorry" Nancy said in general. She looked at El. "We'll keep trying, I promise." She sighed heavily. "We just need someone who can decipher hidden codes…" She stared at nothing and a gentle breeze wafted over them all and flicked through the pages of the newspaper.

"You guys…" Dustin seemed to grow in stature as an idea occurred to him. He suddenly snatched the newspaper out of Nancy's hand. "Don't go anywhere" he shouted. He ran to his bike and within seconds, had mounted it and was pedalling urgently away. Lucas called after him.

Everyone looked at everyone else. "I'll go after him" Lucas said. He glanced at Max. "like the man said, don't go anywhere!"

Mike called after Lucas, but he too was gone, swallowed up in the dust.

Joyce walked out of the Wheeler's house. She looked towards the assembled kids and lit the cigarette that she was holding between her fingers. She was glad to be out of the house; she sensed Mrs Wheeler didn't like her very much. She tried smiling, but it fell short and ended with a grimace.

She went straight to El and put her arm around her shoulders. She took a drag on her cigarette and went to speak, but she had nothing. She sighed heavily and blinked away the tears that threatened to spill out. She was supposed to be the strong one, but without Hop holding her up, she didn't feel strong.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly.

El leant into Joyce, accepting her comfort.

"It's okay" she said, but her mind was whirring. She would try and find him herself. It didn't matter that she might be in danger and it didn't matter what Mike thought or any of them thought. Hop had given her a home and his love, and she missed him every day. If he was out there somewhere, in pain and alone, she would do everything in her power to find him. She tried to disband the troubling thought, that when it boiled down to it, her power was now unpredictable and if she was faced with whatever that thing was, that was lurking in the shadows, she wasn't sure she would be able to fight it.

* * *

The noise of dripping was driving him nuts and the hunger was making his stomach cramp, but it was the thirst he couldn't stand. His lips and tongue felt swollen and his throat felt on fire. His whole head felt like a taught balloon and he began to genuinely fear that his eyes were going to explode out of his head.

He looked at the wall that was wet with moisture and groaned. He struggled with his binds, but they were tight around his wrists; he could feel the rope cutting through his flesh. He slumped forward in the chair he was sitting in. He was exhausted.

They kept asking the same questions. They wanted El and they were certain he could call her to him, but he wasn't sure he could. In his troubled dreams, he thought of her and imagined he saw her too, but she never seemed to know he was there, not since the first time. He had thought he was dying and suddenly there she was. She was calling him, and he reached out to her, and then he found himself reviving and she was gone.

Now, since they saw him recovering, despite the beatings, despite depriving him of food and drink, they were watching his every move and he was too scared to sleep. What if he called her without realising it?

He tried licking his lips, but his tongue was like sandpaper. 'Eventually I will die' he thought. 'Again'. He recalled an explosion and being in hell with flames tormenting his body. He had said goodbye to Joyce. He had taken a moment to look at her and realise he had missed so much time with her; she saw it too. He saw her love and it filled his heart, despite the flames and the agony of their touch.

But then he had woken up into a whole new world of pain.

A door opened and two people walked in. A man, he thought, wearing a formal suit, not a uniform and behind him… was it a woman? Hopper lifted his head, but it was so heavy, and his eyes were misty; faces were blurred and detail impossible to decipher.

"They're not taking very good care of you are they Mr Hopper?" The man's voice wasn't Russian. Hopper squinted, but he still couldn't make the man out. He walked closer. "Are you interested in making a deal?"

"Water" Hopper said. He thought he could make out a smile on the man's face.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The heat was oppressive, but the tension was even more oppressive. No one was talking and the only noise was the sound of a lawnmower in the distance. El was laying on the grass with her eyes closed and her arm across her face; she could feel the heat searing her skin, but it felt good. What didn't feel good was knowing Mike was sitting next to her staring at her.

"Stop staring at me Mike." She heard him shuffling beside her, but she could still feel the intensity of his gaze. She sighed and sat up. "Look" she said. "I'm not going to try and find him."

"But before, it happened without you trying and you said there was a lawn mower…" He trailed off feeling awkward and somewhere in the distance, the lawnmower fell obligingly quiet.

"That was different; I had a cloth over my eyes, and I was alone and…" she sighed and put a hand onto his leg. "I don't know why it happened, but I know it's not about to happen now okay?" She drew up her legs and hugged her knees. The truth was, she didn't know how she could make it happen again, but it definitely wasn't at that moment with Mike staring at her. She glanced at Max; she was watching her too, but she smiled sympathetically. She would help her if she asked, but she didn't want Mike to know, or Joyce. She laid back down again and tried not to think of Hopper alone and suffering.

A car came to a halt close by. It couldn't be Joyce back again; she had only just left.

"Mike! Will!" It was Dustin and Lucas. They all jumped up and ran to the front of the house; a car was parked there, idling. The man in the front seat waved through the window at them all. It was Steve.

"What's he doing here?" Mike asked.

"First things first, where's Joyce and Jonathan?" Dustin asked looking around.

"Mom's gone to see if Murray knows anything more and Jonathan and Nancy have gone to pay another visit with David Henley" Will said.

"Who?" Dustin frowned.

"The newspaper guy" Mike said. He pointed at the car. "What's he doing here?" he asked again.

Dustin grinned. "Our secret weapon awaits" he said cryptically. "Let's go." He ran around to the passenger side of the car and jumped in. Everyone just stood there for a moment and then Dustin leant over and blasted on the horn.

"We may aswell go" said Max. She walked to the back of the car and jumped in. El followed tugging Mike behind her and then Will squeezed in next to them.

Steve looked at them all through the rearview mirror. He grimaced and sighed and put up a hand in greeting. There was a general, mumbled reply.

Lucas stood there glowering. "Great" he said. "I'll just walk, shall I?"

"Just squeeze in" Dustin said flippantly.

Will was half sitting on Mike. "There's no room this side" he said grinning apologetically at Lucas.

"You'll have to sit on Max's lap" Dustin thumped the dashboard. "Come on guys, we need to go!"

Steve looked over his shoulder at Lucas who was still standing there looking very unimpressed.

"Why does _he _get to sit in the passenger seat?" Lucas asked.

Dustin turned around. "I'm Steve's special friend" he said.

"Don't say that" Steve said. "That sounds weird."

Lucas rolled his eyes, slammed the door and walked around the car and opened the other door and then he stood there looking at Max.

"I would prefer you to sit on my lap" he said trying to cling on to some pride.

"Why, because I'm a _girl?_" Max grinned. "Come on Lucas" she said patting her lap. "I'm stronger than you anyway."

"No, you're not" Lucas said belligerently as he climbed in.

"Yes, she is" Mike said grinning.

"Yep" said Dustin.

Will laughed. "Yep."

Lucas sat on the edge of Max's knees with his arms folded.

"You guys ready?" Steve asked. He threw the car into gear and roared away.

* * *

Joyce sat in her car down the road from Murray's apartment. She put a cigarette to her lips; her hands shook as she took a drag. She had been sitting there for ten minutes and she was smoking her third cigarette.

Murray wasn't in his apartment. It had been empty. And it had been ransacked.

* * *

Nancy and Jonathan stood looking up at the building without speaking. Nancy didn't smoke, but there were times when she wished she did. Now was one of those times. She looked at Jonathan, opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again. She went back to staring at the building.

The entire thing was cocooned in scaffolding. Huge signs threatened trespassers with 'prosecution' and other signs warned of 'danger'. Workmen in bright orange were busy doing what orange-clad workmen did. The one they had spoken to glanced over at them. He wasn't sure why they were still standing there looking at a building that had been closed due to potential dangers in the infrastructure. Eventually they moved off and he went on a well- deserved coffee break.

Nancy and Jonathan continued their silence in the car.

* * *

The door opened slowly, and Robin peered out.

"Hi" Steve said.

Robin opened the door wider. "You've bought your friends to say 'hi'" she said. "Interesting, and a bit weird."

Steve leant towards her. "They're not my friends" he whispered.

Dustin shouldered himself in front of Steve. "Except for me." He grinned. "Can we come in?" He looked past Robin. "Nice house."

"Shh" Robin looked over her shoulder. "It's my Nana's and she really wouldn't want a load of kids inside."

"With your genius, this won't take longer than a few minutes." Dustin clapped Steve on the shoulder. "Right Steve?"

Steve grinned sheepishly. "We could really do with your help."

"Do they _all _have to be here?"

Steve shrugged.

"We'll be quiet" Mike said from behind Steve.

Robin sighed. She opened the door wide to let them all in and ushered them towards a kitchen at the end of a long and gloomy hallway.

"Who is it?" a scratchy voice called out from somewhere else in the house.

"Just a friend Nana." Robin rolled her eyes. "She has to know everything."

"You live here with your nan?" Steve was looking around the huge, but tired old kitchen. Particles of dust hung in the air, caught in shafts of sunlight that shone through the grimy blind at the window.

Robin shrugged. "It's home" she said. "Nana is completely mad, but I'm not invisible here at least." She looked at the kids assembled in the kitchen. "So, why are you here?" she asked, wondering, not for the first time, why Steve kept company with so many kids.

Dustin handed her the newspaper. "We need you to crack a code."

"In Russian?" Robin said taking the paper and sitting down.

"No, not Russian, but there is a clue somewhere in there and Dustin seems to think you can find it for us." El sat down opposite Robin. "It's life and death" she said.

"O-kay" Robin glanced at Steve. "Who's life, who's death?" She looked back at El.

"Hopper's" El said quietly.

"Hopper?" Robin frowned. "But he died." The silence in the kitchen mingled with the swirling dust. "Didn't he?"

Max sat down next to El. "He's alive somewhere" she said. She pointed to the newspaper. "And there's a clue in the personal columns; at least we _think_ it's in the personal columns."

Mike sat down. "Please" he said. "Just do what none of us have been able to do and find it."

Robin looked at Steve who was leaning against the fridge. He smiled at her hopefully.

"I went to his funeral" she said.

Steve shrugged. "I'm just the driver."

Robin nodded slowly. "Okay" she said, but her eyes roved around the room. "Are you all going to just watch me?"

"If that's okay?" Lucas said sitting down.

Will sat too. "We'll be quiet" he whispered.

Robin sighed and turned to the back of the paper. "What information do you have?" she asked as she perused the personal columns.

"It has something to do with Goliath" Max said.

"Or maybe nothing to do with Goliath, but we _think _Goliath might be a clue." Dustin leant next to Steve.

No one said anything for a while. The only noise came from a grandfather clock sombrely ticking in the hallway and the rustle of the newspaper as Robin turned the pages. Less than five minutes had passed, and she looked up and around at everyone at the table and then she turned to Steve and Dustin.

"Do you guys have _any _brain cells between you?" she asked. She stabbed the newspaper. "There."

There was a clamour to see what she was pointing at and the paper got torn in the process. Robin stood up; "stop children" she shouted, holding the newspaper to her chest. "Behave." She looked at Steve. "Control your kids" she smirked making him blush. She cleared her throat.

"Help required? Contact David Samson, 6221117"

The grandfather clock interjected with five loud bongs.

"I don't get it" Lucas said shaking his head.

A general murmur of agreement gathered momentum as it went around the kitchen.

"David and Goliath" Dustin said suddenly.

"Isn't that in the bible?" Max asked frowning. She looked at Robin who nodded her head.

"Yep, in the book of Samson and and there's your clue, that apparently, was so hard to find, despite the intelligence in this room being above average, or so I thought." She looked at Steve who had opened the fridge and looked as if he was about to climb in it. "With exception of course."

"So, we call that number" El said squeezing Mike's hand.

"And we find Hopper" he said grinning.

"Here's a question" Steve said closing the fridge. He had a plastic chicken in his hand. He squeezed it and it squeaked mournfully. "Why do you have a plastic chicken in your fridge?"

* * *

Robin's nana came to say hello. She was in her 80's with wispy, white hair that danced about her head and a purple shawl over Christmas themed pyjamas. She had diamond rings on her fingers and pearls at her ears and black pencil lines above eyes that were opaque and vacant.

She stood in the doorway of the kitchen and looked around the room in amazement.

"Are you all my children?" she asked. She smiled hopefully. She looked down at Will and reached out with thin talons; she gripped his face and tilted it. "What a lovely girl" she said. She shuffled further into the room bringing a waft of lavender with her.

"What's with the Christmas pyjamas?" Lucas hissed laughing.

"They're my friends Nana" Robin said. "Go back and sit down and I'll make you a cocoa."

But Robin's nana was making a beeline for Steve.

"Are you Rodney?" she asked excitedly.

"Who's Rodney?" Steve whispered out of the side of his mouth. Robin's nana was a little closer than he would like, so close in fact, that he could feel the softness of her boobs somewhere near his stomach.

"My Granddad" Robin replied trying not to laugh. "He's been dead seventeen years."

Steve tried to escape, but the boobs disorientated him, and the flyaway hair had engulfed him.

"Oh, you are Rodney! I can tell from the gleam in your eyes." Robin's nana leant towards him and placed a wet kiss on his mouth.

The whole room descended into stifled laughter and Steve managed to squirm away, gagging as he took refuge behind Dustin who had tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Time for cocoa Nana" Robin said taking the old woman's arm and steering her out of the kitchen.

"Oh Rodney" the old lady called shrilly over her shoulder. "Be sure to put the chicken in the fridge before you come to bed."

* * *

Robin put the phone back in the receiver. She pulled a face.

"That was Alice King who is 11 years old. I'm pretty sure it's unlikely Hopper is in her basement; their mom runs a cross stitch class." She sat back down. "So it's not a local number; we need an area code." She looked around at everyone. "Any ideas?"

"Didn't my mom say the Russians have him?" Will looked directly at El. "Maybe the number is in Russia somewhere."

"He was cold" El said quietly. She frowned trying to recall exactly what she had seen, but it hadn't been much, and it had been distorted by the threat of something unseen.

"Russia is cold, isn't it?"

Everyone looked at Max and a heavy silence fell over the kitchen. It was broken by an anguished wail from the rubber chicken.

"Sorry" Steve said blushing awkwardly as the chicken continued to moan. "So, what does that mean?"

Robin stood up and took the chicken from him. "It means" she said, "that he's on his own, because there's no way of finding out where in Russia he is and even if we could find out, how the hell do we all get there?" She opened the fridge and put the rubber chicken back inside.

"We need to go" Will said standing up. It was past 5 o'clock.

"No." Everyone look at El. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She looked at Mike and smiled. "With or without you" she said. "I have to try and find him." She stood up and looked at Robin. "Do you have a radio?"

* * *

Author's note

I am unsure whether to carry on with this story, so if you are reading and enjoying my version of ST 4 and want me to continue, please leave a lovely review for me to read and I will try and get another chapter out by the weekend. :-)


	7. Chapter 7

Hopper sat in the chair and knew his mind was no longer his own. Whatever they had injected him with had surged through his veins and seemed slowly to be devouring his senses; he could barely hold his head up. They wanted El and he had refused, but it seemed the choice was no longer his to make.

The man, still dressed in his suit, smiled at him. Hopper noticed how large his teeth were and discoloured too; he must be a smoker, he thought and suddenly wondered if his own teeth were yellow.

He felt the sweat prickle all over his body and then the woman smiled at him. She still held the needle in her hand. She had enjoyed slowly sticking it in his vein and watching as it took over his body, like a slow spreading poison.

"If you call her" the man said. "She will come, and there will be no need to hurt the others." Hopper shook his head; it was all he could manage. As his eyes closed, the man's smile widened.

He was somewhere dark, and he was afraid, but he was more afraid for El. He had to stay strong. He had to fight whatever it was they were doing to him, weakening his mind, making him think of her. He realised, too late, she was already there, searching.

"No El" he said. "Go back!"

* * *

El wanted Hopper back.

She looked at Mike.

"This isn't your choice" she said to him. She could see him almost shaking with fury. "Thank you for being worried, but it's the only way."

"It's dangerous and…stupid!"

"Stupid?" She shook her head at him. "I'm stupid for wanting to find Hopper?"

"No!" Mike said and dragged his fingers through his hair in agitation. "I didn't mean it like that, but it's stupid if it means you're going to get hurt."

El offered him a small smile. How could she explain that she didn't care if she got hurt? How could she tell him, that without Hopper in her life, she no longer felt happy? He grounded her and when she was reminded of her terrible past, he made her eggos, put on bad music and sang along and it would make her laugh.

She had to find him. She owed it to him.

"I'm doing this Mike" she said. "With, or without you." She looked at Robin and nodded. "I'm ready" she said.

"Wait!" Everyone looked at Mike. "If you're really going to do this, at least let me be there."

El thought of the shadow she had felt before. She knew it was waiting for her and it scared her, but she had to do it alone. She shook her head.

"It's not like before" she said. "I have to be alone and lying down, almost asleep…"

"Then what?" Mike asked interrupting her.

El shrugged. "Then I wait."

"I still don't understand what's happening" Robin said. They were all standing in her bedroom. An eclectic space with a huge desk and what looked like an old racing car chair and purple walls adorned with movie posters. She nudged Steve. "What is she waiting for?" she whispered. "Is that creature back?"

Steve shrugged. He knew it wasn't that, but he couldn't pretend he understood El's powers; he just liked to keep his distance in case she decided she didn't much like him. He had seen what she had done to the Mind Flayer.

"Why don't we all just leave her." Max said. El looked at her and smiled.

"Easy for you to say" Mike mumbled.

"No Mike, it isn't." Max glared at him. "El is my friend too you know, and I don't want her to get hurt either, but she needs to do this because she would never forgive herself if she didn't try."

"And what about the rest of us?" Will was leaning against Robin's doorframe. He looked directly at El. "What happens, if that _thing_, is there waiting for you? What happens if you bring it back?"

"I won't bring it back" El said.

"What if it's the Mind Flayer and he's tricking you?"

"Like a Jedi mind trick?" Everyone turned to look at Robin. Behind her on the wall was a poster of 'Return of the Jedi'.

Dustin walked over to her and removed his cap. "I stand in the presence of greatness" he said and bowed his head.

"What does your child want Steve?" Robin asked feeling very uncomfortable.

"Back away Dustin" Steve said.

Dustin looked up. "She's right though" he said indignantly. He looked around at everyone. "Don't you see, that is exactly what it is?" He shook his head and sighed. He wished Suzie didn't live so far away; she would understand.

"This is not the time or the place Dustin" Mike said irritably.

Lucas turned to Will. "The Mind Flayer died Will" he said kindly, but Will was scared, he could feel something bad coming. He touched the back of his neck. If it wasn't the Mind Flayer, it was something else.

"Yeah and we killed the Domogorgan too didn't we?" Will laughed without humour. "We've killed them all" he said. "But something always wants to come back and now the gate is closed…"

"Nothing can hurt us" Max said. She smiled as if to allay his fears.

Will looked at her and shook his head, then he turned back to El. "Now the gate is closed" he said again, "maybe the way out is through you."

No one said anything. Mike looked at Will and saw his fear, but what he was saying made terrible sense. He looked back at El licking his dry lips.

"What if he's right" he said quietly.

"I won't bring it back" El said with cold determination. She looked at Robin. "Can you turn on your radio now?"

"I have this" Robin said. She went over to a grey, square box that had a clear, plastic lid. She lifted it up. "And you don't want to listen to music?" she asked. She still had no clue what was going on. El shook her head. "Okay, so I'm hoping this will work otherwise I will have to borrow Nana's radio and that will really piss her off."

Robin pressed a button and a small red light flicked on. She lifted a long arm and moved it across the black disc that was rotating at the centre.

"The Bangles" Dustin said leaning over. He made a purring sound. Robin looked at him with derision and Dustin backed off. "Just saying" he said indignantly.

Robin put the arm down and a scratchy noise filled the room. She turned a dial and the noise grew louder.

"Does that work?"

El nodded and settled back onto Robin's bed. In her hand, she held a towel.

"Please leave me now" she said. She looked at Mike pointedly. "All of you."

* * *

El found herself drifting, floating almost. She felt peaceful, but she didn't want to feel peaceful. She wanted to find Hopper. She took a deep breath and concentrated. The noise filled her head and carried her away from Robin's room. She was outside and it was dark and mottled clouds were hurtling across the sky as if a storm was brewing. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or she was awake and looking for him.

She let it happen.

And then she felt something. It was the feeling of someone breathing down her neck. She tried to look behind her, but she couldn't turn around.

"Find me Hop" she said. The feeling of the thing behind her was distracting her and she knew the search was already over; she would never be able to find him now. She had to get out of the void she was caught in, but she didn't know how.

The bad feeling grew, and the grey was everywhere.

Then she heard him. She tried ignoring the thing that crept behind her and concentrate on Hopper, and then she heard him again. "No, El" he said. His voice was muffled, strained. "Go back."

She wanted to call him, so he knew she was there, but she could only think it. _Where are you Hop? _She thought. _Where are you? _

And then below her, white amidst the grey, was a van with writing on its side. She moved towards it and she saw it was waiting at a gate and there were men armed with guns. She moved closer, but the thing moved with her, like a shadow. The van began to blur as the grey crept around her, but she knew she had to find away. She willed herself to focus on the van; she saw letters, blurred at first, but then they formed words and it was all she needed.

Now she had to get out. She blotted out the emptiness of the void and listened for the sound again; it was there somewhere, the comforting scratch of a needle on a record, moving over the ridges as the record went round and round.

She caught the sound and she opened her eyes. She sat up, breathing heavily.

"Mike!" she called. She heard footsteps on the stairs as everyone thundered up, but Mike appeared in the doorway; he had been sitting outside the room. He looked ashen. He walked over to the bed and touched El's hand as the others tumbled into the room.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

El nodded. "I found him" she said. She smiled. "He's in Alaska."

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	8. Chapter 8

"So definitely _not_ Russia?" Robin said.

El shook her head. "Definitely _not _Russia."

"Because of what was on the van?"

El nodded.

"What if it's a trick?" Mike asked. "You know, to get us to go to Alaska?"

"You think this thing, whatever it is, tricked El by putting a van in her dream with 'Best Fish in Alaska' written on the side?" Robin stared at Mike contemptuously. "That seems pretty unlikely, don't you think?"

Dustin sniggered and Mike flushed, feeling the sting of her words.

"Okay, that was stupid, but now what? We all go to Alaska?" He looked at El. "It's not going to happen" he said. "It's at least a 60 hour journey by road and we can't just hop on a plane, can we?" He looked around at everyone, challenging anyone to disagree with him.

"You're right Mike" Dustin said. He took the phone off the cradle and held it out. "But shall we at least try calling the number?"

They were once again in the kitchen and Robin had the newspaper spread out before her. Steve was standing next to Dustin, his fingers poised, ready to dial.

"Are you going to let the child speak?" Robin asked Steve. She cocked an eyebrow and Steve shrugged at her. If he was honest with himself, Dustin would probably get more information from whoever answered the phone, because that was Dustin.

"You might be good at cracking codes" Dustin said, "but I know how to deal with business matters." He glared at Robin. "When you're ready…" He smiled sarcastically.

Robin took a breath. She looked at El. "You ready?" she said.

El nodded. Beside her, Max squeezed her hand. Mike saw and felt a wave of jealousy. He was happy that El and Max had become such good friends, but it just meant she didn't seem to need him as much. He went and sat next to her.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded without looking at him. "Do it" she said.

Robin glanced at Steve. "907 is the code" she said. She looked back down at the newspaper and waited as Steve dialed. Everyone else watched, as the dial on the phone rotated slowly.

"907" Dustin repeated.

"622…"

Somewhere in the house, they heard Robin's nana call out for Rodney. Steve swallowed nervously; he would be glad to get out of the house, he could still taste the old lady's smell.

"1117 and you have to ask for…"

"David Samson, I know." Dustin waited as the number finished connecting and then a click and a woman's voice answered. "Can I speak with Mr Samson" he said with authority. "Mr David Samson?" There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Hello?" he said. "Can I speak to…"

His voice was cut off.

The woman's voice filtered from the phone and then they all heard the click as she hung up.

"What did she say?" El was on her feet.

"Shh" Dustin's face was screwed up trying to concentrate. He began to dial again. "907" he said. "622…" He looked at Robin. "Number!" he barked. He clicked his fingers. "Number!"

"1117."

He finished dialing again and waited and then slowly he hung up the phone. He looked at Steve who had been leaning in listening.

"Did you get that?"

Steve nodded.

"Dustin?"

Dustin looked at El. "The number is disconnected."

"What?" Robin jumped up and grabbed the phone. She dialed the number herself and waited and then slowly hung up the receiver. She shrugged and sat back down. "Disconnected" she said.

"Like I already said." Dustin liked Robin, but he was insulted by her lack of trust in him, especially since he had saved her life once.

"So, what did the woman say?" Will was glad that Alaska was so far away, but he was as intrigued as the rest of them.

Dustin closed his eyes and screwed up his face in concentration. "Anchorage... then some numbers... 40, 65..." He opened his eyes. "Did you hear?" he asked looking at Steve. Steve grimaced. Dustin sighed in exasperation and then he prodded the side of his head with a finger. "There was another number, then she said 'Fishguard' and then…" He shrugged. "Something about the weather."

They all stared at him.

Dustin stared at Steve.

"You must have heard something!" he said belligerently.

Steve blinked and then looked at Robin and then back at Dustin. "Something about it being mild out…" he trailed off.

"Are you freaking kidding me!" Max stood up. She looked at Robin. "You should have rung!" Robin nodded her agreement. "Hell, I should've! Even Lucas would have done better than that!"

"Hey!"

Will patted Lucas's arm in sympathy.

"Hang on, hang on…" Dustin sat down. "I'll get there" he said. "I just need to think."

"Now what?" Will said. He was more anxious than ever. It was getting late and his mom would be furious with them all.

"I want to go home" El said standing up.

Will stood too. "I agree" he said, relieved. "Mom will be mad, but she won't be mad, mad. Yet."

El looked at him. "No Will, I mean, _my _home. Hopper's home."

The room was bathed in silence for a moment.

"I'll go with you" Max said.

"Me too" said Mike taking her hand.

"I'm in" said Lucas.

They all looked at Will and Will shook his head.

"Steve, take Will back to my house" Mike said. He looked at Dustin. "Dustin?"

"I'm staying here, Robin needs me."

"Do I?" Robin pulled a face.

Dustin looked at her pointedly. "Unless you heard the other number, yes, you do." He looked at Steve and then everyone looked at Steve. "You can drop these guys on the way, can't you?"

Steve was leaning against the fridge eating a cookie. He looked back at everyone and sighed dejectedly. He didn't see the point in arguing. He knew better than to argue with girls and Dustin was this strange child man who could get him to do things he didn't want to do. He had a way of making him feel as if he was the child sometimes. He took another bite of cookie.

"Steve!" Dustin clicked his fingers in front of Steve's face. "Come back to earth."

Steve shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth. He looked at Will.

"You ready?" he said.

Will stood up. He wanted to be with his friends more than anything else, but none of them knew what it was like having that thing inside your mind. Except perhaps El. He looked at her; she was watching him.

"I'm sorry Will" she said, and he could hear the genuine warmth in her voice. He smiled at her. He knew how much she loved Hopper, he could hear her crying at night. He smiled back.

"Let's go" he said to Steve.

As they left Robin's house, they heard the shrill scream of her nana calling out for Rodney.

* * *

El pushed open the door and memories came tumbling out. She blinked away her tears and stood there for a moment trying to regain her composure. She had experienced real life and happiness with Hopper in that house, despite it being run down and small and despite its musty smell and Hopper's general untidiness. Out of his space, he had given her a room, let her choose the colours, bought her a bed and furniture, gave her a paintbrush, encouraged her and made her feel safe. It had been her first real home.

She walked over the threshold and the floorboards creaked.

Shafts of diminishing sunlight picked up the dust clouds that swirled haphazardly around like miniature tornados. Apart from that, everything was still. She glanced at Hopper's chair and imagined him sitting there with a can of beer, smiling at her. Despite her best efforts, tears leaked from her eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around and fell into Mike's arms. He held her as she cried.

"We have to bring him home Mike" El said into his chest.

"I know" he said stroking her hair. "And we will." He closed his eyes. He wouldn't fight it anymore. He realised now, El didn't care about how much danger she might be in, she had to get Hopper back. Mike looked around the small, nondescript house and understood that Hopper had given El back her life and she needed to repay him. "We'll do it together" he said. He kissed her head. "I promise."

"So why exactly are we here?" Lucas asked.

El disentangled herself from Mike's arms. "For this." She walked through a door to Hopper's bedroom. Someone, Joyce probably, she thought, had stripped the bed so that it was a bare mattress. She kept focused; the stillness of the room was unsettling.

She went to Hopper's wardrobe, a great big beast made of dark wood with thick doors that had large, ornate emblems on the front that served as handles. She touched them, uncertain what they were made of, some kind of metal she thought, bronze maybe? Iron? She closed her eyes and remembered Hop standing next to her, telling her how to move the right hand one.

…'there is a little groove at the bottom" he said, '…a little lip, place your thumb in it and then the rest of your hand needs to grip the top and you turn clockwise. It will click and then you can slide it up…'

She had struggled with it. It was stiff and awkward, but he made her do it, several times, until he was happy she knew exactly how to reveal the small space behind it.

She did it now, easily. Inside, was a brown envelope.

"What is it?" Max whispered peering over her shoulder.

"I don't know" El said. "He never told me. He just said, if I was ever in trouble and needed help and he wasn't around to help me, that I should open this and take out what was inside."

She took hold of the envelope gingerly and looked at everyone.

"Open it" Lucas said. He was grinning. "This is so cool." Max rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, but it is! A secret compartment? Hopper has just gone way up in my estimations." He ignored Max's glare and looked at Mike, glad to see from his expression, that he was thinking the exact same thing.

El opened the envelope and looked inside. The first thing she saw was money, lots of it. The second thing she saw looked like a small, blue book. She took it out. On the front it said, 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.

"It's a passport" Mike said.

"It's a British passport" Max said.

"Cool!" Lucas's grin had grown.

El opened the passport and saw an unsmiling picture of herself and the name underneath, Anna Jane Hopper.

"He's given you a new identity El" Max said.

El nodded. She felt almost overcome with emotion; Hopper had left her probably his whole life savings and a new passport. His only thought, since meeting El, had been to protect her.

She smiled and blinked away her tears.

"Now I can get to Alaska" she said.

It was the right thing to do, but she wouldn't ask the others to come, that would be risking too much. She had to do this alone, but convincing Mike and Joyce would be a problem.

There was a noise outside that made them all turn and stare.

It was a car pulling up. Someone else was at Hopper's cabin.


	9. Chapter 9

Steve was sitting, slumped, in his car parked outside Hopper's house. He had been tempted to drive away and leave the kids to do their thing, but he guessed he would get shouted at by people, namely Robin and Dustin. He sighed and yawned and sank down further hoping to catch some sleep.

And then he saw a car rolling to a stop next to him. He really, really hoped it wasn't the Russians, he had had enough of Russians. He tried to look invisible, but then he heard a car door slam and he couldn't resist a look. Staring at him from the passenger seat of another car, was Will. Will smiled awkwardly. He looked a little sheepish. Steve frowned. He had only just dropped him at the Wheeler's house. He turned towards Hoppers house and saw Joyce on the steps.

She was about to go inside when she suddenly froze and turned around slowly, as if she sensed someone was watching her. She glared at Steve, narrowing her eyes. Steve looked for possible means of escape, but he had a sinking feeling, as small as Joyce was, she would be fast. He sat up and watched as she walked steadily towards him, he could almost see the fury radiating from her tiny form. How could someone so small be so terrifying? He loaded a smile on his face, but it didn't have the desired effect on Joyce. She yanked open the door.

"You" she said, only it was more like a hiss. Steve's smile froze on his face. He was infinitely more afraid of Joyce than he was of the Russians. "Get out of the car" she said. Her voice was low and calm. Steve would have preferred it if she had been shouting. He half fell out of the car and stood before her. If he had a cap, he would have placed it in his hands.

As it was, he lowered his gaze and waited for his punishment. Behind him he thought he heard Will laughing.

"Are you the boy that encouraged Erica Sinclair to climb through the air ducts of a top- secret Russian base and then got yourself kidnapped and beaten up and left her and Dustin to rescue you?" Joyce paused, but Steve thought it was better to stay silent on the matter. As it turned out, he had made the right decision. "She was 10 years old" Joyce said in a dangerous voice. "10 years old!"

Steve shuffled awkwardly as Joyce continued to death stare at him and she wasn't finished berating him either.

"I mean, what is it with you and children anyway? Do you _like _children?"

Steve looked at Joyce in horror. "What? No! No way." He glanced towards Hopper's cabin as the door opened and the kids piled out. "I know it looks bad, but I just do as I'm told." He shrugged knowing how lame it sounded. He really would prefer a quiet life, but he kept getting embroiled in situations he wanted to be no part of.

Joyce nodded but it was a nod of condescension. "You get told what to do by _children" _she said.

"Joyce, what are you doing here?"

Joyce turned to look at El and went to speak, but she pursed her lips knowing what she needed to say was going to be difficult and probably not very well received. She saw the hurt in El's eyes and the pain that seemed to be a permanent fixture on her face. Even when she smiled, she seemed sad. Without Hopper, she seemed so lost. Joyce touched her face.

"You have _got _to let this go" she said quietly trying to read El. She looked at the others. "All of you have got to let this go and if you were any kind of friends to El, you would try and make her understand that she needs to stay here, stay hidden and stay safe." She took a deep breath. "Will told me about the phone call and I have the money so I'm going to Alaska and I _will _find Hopper, but you have to stay away, okay? This is _not _your fight."

Will climbed out of the car. "I'm sorry" he said. "I had to tell her."

"Don't sweat it" Lucas said. Mike smiled at him too. No one would be able to withhold information from Joyce Byers.

"I'm sick of grown-ups telling us what to do" Max said angrily. Lucas put a hand on her arm, but she batted him off. "Seriously" she said. "You all think we're not capable, but we always are."

"I don't think you're not capable" Joyce said quietly.

"We've found stuff out and you think you can do this without us, without El." She looked at El. "I'm sorry Mrs Byers, but that's plain stupid."

Will wished he had stayed in the car. His mom was kind and loving, but it didn't take much for her to lose her temper and when she lost it, she was a formidable person, but she surprised him.

"I actually think you're all brilliant" she said. She looked at them all individually. "You're brave and strong and way smarter than me" she paused and sighed. "But you're going to tell me what I need to know and you're going to stay here, out of harms way, because I am an adult and you are children." Joyce Byers was diminutive, but she seemed to grow in stature. "Do you understand me, you are _children_." She glanced at Steve again.

El stepped forward. "I think you should let me go. I think Hopper needs me, but if you won't let me, I won't fight you and I'll tell you what we know."

Joyce nodded and smiled at El. "Hopper would be very proud of you" she said.

Another car pulled up and Nancy and Jonathan climbed out.

"Mom, we need to leave, there's a flight that leaves this evening…"

Joyce turned to her son. "Change of plan" she said. "I need you to stay here and look after these guys." She turned back to Steve. "Someone responsible needs to be here, someone I can trust."

Steve felt himself shrivelling under her gaze.

"You're not going alone Mom" Jonathan said. "It might be dangerous."

"I'll go." Jonathan looked at Nancy. She shrugged. "Why not?" she smiled at Joyce a little uncertainly. She wasn't completely sure if Joyce liked her, but she understood why she would be so protective of her children.

No one said anything for a while. It was growing dark and somewhere in Alaska, Hopper was alive and finding him and bringing him home was the only thing that mattered to Joyce at that moment. She was getting more and more fond of Nancy and she was clever and quick. She smiled at her.

"If you're sure" she said. She knew it might be dangerous. Nancy nodded and Joyce turned to El. "We'll call you when we arrive for an update, okay?"

El nodded and felt a wave of guilt. Joyce would be furious at her for disobeying her, but there was no way she was going to stay in Hawkins. Now she had her passport and money, there was nothing to stop her. She felt Mike looking at her. She glanced at him and smiled and knew she was going to have to lie to him too.

"Please find him" she said hoping it was the right thing to say.

"I'll drive you then" said Jonathan. He looked at Steve. "Will you take the kids to the Wheelers?"

Steve shrugged. It wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you to those of you reviewing and following. I will try and update by the weekend, but not promising anything!


	10. Chapter 10

There wasn't much talking on the way to the airport. Jonathan felt uneasy. He liked Hopper, but he wasn't sure he approved of how much his mum seemed to like him. As if reading his mind, his mum reached over and touched his leg.

"I have to do this Jonathan. You know that, right?"

Jonathan sighed and then shrugged. He went to speak, but couldn't think of the right thing to say. He caught sight of Nancy staring at him through the rear-view mirror and tried again.

"I guess" he said. It sounded lame. He glanced at his mum. "Do you love him?" He hadn't meant to ask such a personal question at such a bad time.

"Don't answer that Joyce." Nancy glowered at Jonathan. "Seriously, Jonathan. How old are you?"

Jonathan sighed again and gripped the steering wheel tightly. He noticed his mum was still staring at him.

"I think I do" she said finally, quietly. "I mean, I know he's rude and he's incredibly arrogant…"

"That's an understatement…" Jonathan sunk down lower in his seat, so he didn't have to see Nancy glaring at him anymore. He was beginning to think she and his mum would make a formidable team.

Joyce smiled at her son. "He makes me laugh" she said. "He cares about me and he's…misunderstood…"

"I understood Bob" Jonathan said. "After dad, he was someone who could really take care of you."

"I agree" Nancy said nodding. "And I loved Bob, but…" She took a deep breath. "He was _safe _and well, if I'm really honest with myself and believe me, it's taken a long time to get to this stage, but you should know, that I think I've always loved Hop."

It was suddenly very quiet in the car. Nancy shifted in the back seat feeling awkward.

"I like him" she said eventually. Joyce looked over her shoulder at Nancy and smiled. Nancy smiled back. "I do. He has a great moustache and there's something about him…" She trailed off. Jonathan's reflection suddenly appeared in the rear-view mirror again. Nancy laughed.

"Thank you" Joyce said. She was beginning to really like Nancy.

* * *

Jonathan finished his coffee and sighed. He was sat in his car outside the airport with absolutely no chance of driving away. He had been parked in. He had been sitting there for fifteen minutes and had decided to wait another ten before taking any action. Surely it wouldn't come to that, he reasoned. He was in a 'drop-off' area only and he had already exceeded the time allowance.

He glanced at the clock and thought about his mum and Nancy.

"Poor Russians" he said to himself.

He tried to relax. There really was no point in getting up tight.

He watched the people coming and going and then he saw Nancy in his wing mirror. He sat upright and turned to look over his shoulder, but there was no sign of her. He must have been mistaken. He sat back around and kept his eyes on the mirror. There was a group of men, all in dark suits and they were moving to a line of cars; he watched them. Despite the suits, they didn't much look like businessmen. He saw other people glancing their way and instinctively giving them a wide berth.

He watched them carefully.

Something was wrong. He fought with his desire to get out of the car and investigate.

Then he saw Nancy. He was certain! Her face was pinched and pale. She looked scared. And then he saw the dark hair of his mum, just behind her. The group of men had surrounded them and were moving them to one of the parked cars. Doors opened and they disappeared.

Jonathan felt his heart racing. He turned the key in his ignition. He would follow them.

The car drove by, followed by three other cars, but the windows were blacked out and he hadn't seen them. Perhaps they had looked at him though. He wiped his clammy hands down his trouser legs and then remembered he was trapped. He thumped the steering wheel in anger and let out a growl of fury. He would need a tin opener to get out of the spot he was in.

* * *

Mike picked up the phone and was blasted by garbled panic on the other end. He held the phone away from his ear. Everyone else turned to look at him. They heard the alarm too. They crowded around the phone.

"Calm down" Mike shouted. "I don't understand. What's happened?"

There was a moment of silence and then talking. It was quieter now, but still edged with fright. Dustin had his ear pressed as close as possible to the receiver.

"Who is it?" Lucas whispered.

"Jonathan" Dustin replied.

"Shh" Mike hissed. He closed his eyes, concentrating. "Not you Jonathan, carry on…" He put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Joyce and Nancy have been taken somewhere." He moved his hand. "Sorry. Say that again…" His eyes grew wide in his face and he looked around the assembled faces. He stayed staring at El. "Okay, okay" he said. He looked at Steve. "You need to go and pick Jonathan up."

Steve went to speak. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he shrugged and walked up the stairs from the basement. He was thinking about leaving Hawkins sometime soon and never, ever going back there.

Mike hung up the phone and looked at Will. No one said anything at first and the silence was loaded with tension.

Mike cleared his throat. "Jonathan was outside the airport. He was parked in and there were these men…"

"What men?"

"I don't know Lucas. Men. In black suits."

"Russians" Dustin said.

Mike sighed. "I don't know Dustin, just men in black suits…"

"The Russians are one step ahead…"

"Shut up!" Max yelled, glaring at Dustin. She looked at Mike. "Tell us" she said.

"And these men had Joyce and Nancy and was walking them to a car. He said that Nancy looked scared, but he didn't get a chance to see them after that."

"Why didn't he try and follow them?" Will's heart was racing, but he was keeping calm for all their sakes.

"He was parked in. Two cars, either side of him. He said he thinks it might have been on purpose. And now he's been towed because he went over the time limit…" Mike trailed off. "You okay?" he said to Will.

Will nodded and sat down. "Now what?" he said. He looked at them all and felt a tingle of irritation. Everyone had been so determined to help Hopper. "How are we going to find my mum…?"

"And my sister" Mike said. He went and sat down next to Will, putting his arm around his shoulders.

"Sorry" Will said, feeling ashamed.

"We'll find them" Mike said. He looked at them all. "We wait for Jonathan and then we make a plan. We split up if necessary and we find Joyce and Nancy." He looked at El. "And we still try and find Hopper."

"How?" El sounded cold and distant. "How are we going to find Hopper if they're watching the airport" she said.

No one had an answer for her. She waited, but silence filled the basement.

"I need to be alone" El said.

Mike stood. "What are you going to do?"

She looked at Will and a small smile flickered over her face.

"I'm going to find Joyce and Nancy" she said.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE:

Sorry this has been a long time coming. I'm hoping to be much more regular with my updates for a while, especially if I know you guys are liking the story! Happy reading.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

"El, as hard as it is for you to hear, if you go to Alaska, you'll put yourself and Hopper in danger."

El glared at Dustin. She felt Mike put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. She knew he agreed with his friend. She felt her fury boiling inside her. She spun around to Mike, causing him to take a step back.

"I suppose you agree," she snapped.

Mike sighed, then shook his head. "He has a point, but, El…" He stepped towards her and took her hand. "I will support whatever decision you make."

"Even if it's the wrong one?" Lucas raised his eyebrows at Mike, but he made sure he was standing behind the sofa.

El looked at everyone in turn. The familiarity of Mike's basement did nothing to soothe her. Everything felt wrong and everyone seemed to be against her.

"Do you all agree with Dustin?" she asked. She tried to keep her voice even. No one said anything and then Max stood up.

"I am 100% behind you El, and I hope you know that and if you don't, well, you should. I've never had a friend like you, someone I can count on." She looked at Lucas and smiled. "Someone who's not a boy." Lucas shrugged. "But as much as I hate to admit this, Dustin does have a point." El went to speak, but Max crossed the room and held her arms. "Think about it. We split up, but you stay here and guide whoever goes to Alaska. You're getting your powers back you said, so you can see if they move him, or if the others get into danger." She released her grip. "Think about it."

"We don't have time to think about it," Dustin said.

El blinked back the tears that were threatening. Her fury had dissolved and now she felt overwhelmed, and scared.

"One thing you've all forgotten" Will said. He was sitting on the beaten- up old sofa. "They'll be looking out for all of us at the airport, not just El."

It was a quiet for a moment. Upstairs they heard the front door- bell. The decision not to say anything to Mrs Wheeler about her daughter had been Mike's decision, but a visitor was worrying.

They all listened and then heard footsteps and then the door to the basement was opened.

"Mike!" Mrs Wheeler called shrilly. "Steve, is here to see you, and he's brought a _friend_." Mrs Wheeler said 'Steve' through clenched teeth.

Steve walked down the stairs with a look of tired resignation on his face. Robin followed behind.

"Jeez Steve. She really doesn't like you, does she?" Robin found it funny. Steve was used to it. He shrugged.

"You kids should know that this is the end of the road for me." He perched on the edge of the sofa. "I came here because Jonathan asked me to check up on you, but this is not my gig anymore."

"Where is he?" Will asked.

"He went back to see if he could find that dude, Mr, Whatshisname. Try and force some information out of him."

"You mean David Henley?" Mike said. Steve nodded.

"Wasn't it all fake though? That office set-up?" Max frowned remembering when Nancy and Jonathan had gone back to speak to him again. "The whole place was under construction. No offices there at all."

Steve shrugged. "He figured he must be hiding out somewhere." He glanced at Will. "He just wants to find Joyce."

"At least we know she's safe." Mike looked at Will.

Everyone looked at Will.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you more," El said. She had tried to find her and Nancy, but it was dark and blurry. She felt her powers returning; it felt as if her blood was fizzing with electricity, and that was a good sign. But it was far from easy to get the clear pictures she was used to getting. She offered Will a small smile and was relieved when he smiled back.

"Can we get back to business." Dustin said. "Will's right. None of us will make it through the airport."

"Driving?" Max suggested.

"That'll take us nearly 3 days," Mike said.

"Are we still talking Alaska?" Robin asked. She flopped down on the sofa next to Will.

Dustin nodded. "We're thinking we should split up. Some of us go to Alaska to find Hopper. Then we'll have a team here, being our eyes." He looked at Will. "And we find Joyce and Nancy."

"So, we drive to Toronto and then fly from there."

"Genius" Dustin said.

"Well, good luck guys." Steve unfolded his arms and looked around the assembled group. He really needed to stop hanging out with kids. "Robin, if you need a lift…" He trailed off.

"You can't leave," she said. He looked at her and didn't like the twinkle in her eye. He had noticed, since Robin had been embroiled with the Russians and the Mind Flayer and facing almost certain death, she had thrived. Normal life, according to her, could wait. He felt his stomach muscles clenching as he waited for the blow. "These guys need you."

"And your car." Lucas said.

"It's true, Steve. We need you." Dustin walked over to him and clapped him on the back.

"We have money," Mike said.

Steve felt his resolve crumbling. He sighed. He hated Robin at that moment. And Dustin. He looked around. He hated them all. He sat on the edge of the sofa.

"Me and Steve will go," Robin said.

Steve stood back up. "Hang on, hang on."

"We don't have time to hang on, Steve." Dustin said. "I'll go too."

"No!" Robin and Steve both said together.

Dustin shook his head. "I'm hurt," he said. "After everything we've been through." He looked directly at Steve. "We make a good team" he said. "And besides, if Hopper's drugged up and disorientated, he will need to see a familiar face. He might not trust you guys."

Steve and Robin glanced at each other. Steve hated to admit it, but he really did quite like Dustin. Not that he wanted to spend as much time with him as he currently was. The bottom line was, he didn't want to even go to Alaska, so what did it matter if Dustin was there, or not? He sighed and shrugged.

"Fine." He said. "Dustin can come."

Robin grimaced, but she had to admit, he was a smart kid. Steve was good for brawn and pretty to look at, but he wasn't much use when it came to problem solving. She shrugged.

"Fine." She said.

"Maybe more of us should go." Lucas said. "Safety in numbers."

Robin shook her head. "Quite the opposite," she said. "They'll be looking for a group of kids, so it's better if just the three of us go. We can be siblings…" She trailed off and looked at Dustin with a frown.

"Okay, so Steve and Robin and Dustin drive to Toronto. From there, they fly to Alaska." Mike looked around at everyone.

"Then, they wait to hear from us." Max looked at El. "In the meantime, El, your powers will be getting stronger and stronger and you can guide them."

"And then we just need to find Mrs Byers and Nancy," Mike said.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Are you okay?"

El turned to look at Max and shrugged. She was back in her old room, in Hopper's cabin. It was a mess, but it felt more like home to her.

She sighed. "I don't know. I can't help but think I should be doing something."

"But you are, El. You need to focus on getting your strength back so you can go back to being Super El." She smiled, but El pulled a face.

"If the Russians really want me, then maybe I should give myself to them?"

"No!" Max turned El around to face her. "No way, El. Do you think Hopper would want that?"

El's face was stone. "We don't know what Hop wanted, because he's being tortured. He's slowly losing his mind and I'm sitting here and just waiting." She waved her passport at Max. "What if this was his way of telling me to go and find him."

Max shook her head. "No, El. He never knew this was going to happen. That passport was to keep you safe. You know that."

El closed her eyes. It hurt her to admit, but what Max said was right. Hop would only ever want her to be safe.

"I have to do something," she said.

"So, rest, for now. And be ready when we need you. When Hopper needs you, okay?"

El nodded her head. She was far from convinced.

* * *

"Is this too easy?" Dustin looked around nervously.

They were at Toronto airport and everything, so far, looked normal.

"Stop looking suspicious, otherwise you'll blow it," Robin hissed.

Dustin nodded. He wished his hands weren't sweating so much.

"Just smile," Robin said again. "And remember, we're not siblings since our passports would automatically refute that, right?"

"Right." Dustin wiped his hands down his legs. "You're my cousin," he said to Steve, and then he grinned. "And she's your _lover_…" His grin met his eyes.

"Cut it out Dustin." Steve glowered at him. It had been a long car journey, with Dustin calling 'shotgun' after the last service stop. Steve had found himself in the back of his own car. He was feeling resentful towards both of them.

Robin turned and flashed a smile at Steve.

"Are you playing the big, bad boyfriend?" she said mockingly. Steve glowered some more. Robin laughed and linked her arm through his. "Come on," she said. "All smiles everyone. Let's do this."

They walked towards security.

* * *

"Does this even work anymore?" Lucas whispered.

"Shh." Max glared at him.

Lucas pulled a face. "She can't hear me whispering," he whispered. His attempt at whispering quietly, failed.

"Shh." Mike nudged him.

Lucas went to speak again, but, decided against it. He looked at Will and was grateful for his sympathetic smile.

The TV set had been dragged into El's room and the door was shut, but they could hear the hissing as the white noise droned on. It was beginning to get inside Lucas's head. He went over to Will and sat next to him.

"I didn't think this worked anymore," he said.

Will shrugged. "Her powers are coming back, she said."

"But this is taking ages."

"Shh!" Mike and Max turned on him and Lucas shrunk down in his seat.

Then the noise stopped, and the door opened.

El was standing there, blood seeping from her nose. She looked at Will and nodded.

"I know where she is." She wiped her nose and looked at Mike. "They're here still, in Hawkins." She smiled, grateful no one thought to question her. The bad feeling was there still, every time she went to that place. She had felt it lurking behind her when she searched for Hopper before and now, with her powers getting stronger, it was still there. She had a terrible feeling it was just waiting for her.

Outside, a car spun to a stop and a door slammed. Jonathan appeared at the window.

Max jumped up and let him in.

"Well?" she said.

Jonathan ignored her and looked at El. He saw how white she looked and the smear of blood on her face.

"They're in Hawkins," she said again.

Jonathan smiled and nodded, gratefully. He looked around at everyone, his gaze resting on Will.

"It's going to be okay," he said. He took a breath. "I have a map," he said. "And some news." He spread the map out on a table and sat down.

"So, the guy who gave Nancy and me the newspaper, is actually a guy called, well, it doesn't matter what his name is, but he's an actor."

"What?" El sat down opposite him. "Why?"

Jonathan took another breath. "They wanted us to find this stuff out. I'm pretty sure those guys are walking into a trap…"

There was an outbreak of commotion, but Jonathan spoke above them all.

"Hang on," he said. "They assumed we would send El and…" he paused and looked at her, "they would have been waiting for you…" El felt her eyes stinging with tears. Waiting had felt so hopeless, but at least Hopper was still alive.

"So, what now?" Max squeezed El's hand. "What happens to Dustin and the others once they get to Alaska?"

Jonathan shrugged. "They weren't expecting us to be smart. They will be looking out for kids leaving Indiana and arriving in Alaska, so… as long as they don't draw attention to themselves, they might at least get through the airport."

"But, then what?" Max looked around at everyone. Things were getting out of control.

Jonathan pursed his lips. "They said they would call first, right? So we go back to your house, Mike and wait there, and then we warn them."

"And if they get taken too, I give myself up."

El stood up and looked around at everyone defiantly.

"No!" Mike tugged at her hand, but she pulled away.

"Tell me, Mike, what would you do?"

It was silent for a while and then Mike sat down, slumping with defeat. El swallowed the injustice she felt raging around her mind and sat too. She took Mike's hand.

"How did you find all this out?" Will looked at his older brother. "I mean, about the actor guy?"

"I just got chatty with one of the workers there. Found out how little they get paid and told him my girlfriend is a reporter and she wanted to do a piece on the conditions these guys work in." He grinned. "Once he heard she had gone missing, he wanted to tell me everything he knew. Said that some heavies had turned up a few days earlier, made them hide every sign the building was under construction, convinced all the men they would get a hefty pay pack if they did it right, and quickly. This guy, Bob, he was still there when this van pulled up and the main guy who had been dishing out all the orders…"

"Russian?" Jonathan shook his head at Lucas.

"American. He overheard him telling this tall thin guy, David Henley we knew him as, that he had to pretend to be this big shot. Play it cool, try and intimidate whoever it was that came asking about Hopper."

This time, the silence lasted for longer.

"One step ahead," Mike said eventually. His voice was barely a whisper.

"What now?" Max said. She looked at Jonathan.

"They don't know I have my powers back," El said. She looked directly at Will. "First of all, let's get Joyce and Nancy back." She turned to Mike and smiled. "They won't be expecting us, or they wouldn't have hidden them here."

Jonathan nodded. "Where are they?" he asked. He smoothed the map out.

El nodded again. She looked at the map and smiled.

"We won't need the map," she said.

* * *

"I can't believe it," Dustin hissed. "Just like that."

Steve laughed nervously. "I kept waiting for them to say something."

Robin took Steve's hand. "Stop whispering and keep smiling," she said. "We're not out of the airport yet."

* * *

Hopper opened his eyes. The woman was standing there. She smiled at him.

"You are strong," she said. "But how long do you think your body can cope with this?" Hopper blinked, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his bruised and battered body. The woman crouched down and stroked his face tenderly.

"I can see why she likes you," she said. Her smile was dangerous. "It's Joyce, isn't it?"

Hopper flinched. The woman's smile grew and then slowly, she leant in towards Hopper and kissed him, gently, on the lips. Her smiled disappeared.

"Tell us how to bring the girl to you and we won't hurt your precious Joyce," she said.

Hopper coughed and groaned. His mind was whirring, and his body was in agony. He knew El would come if he called her, somehow, she would hear him, but he wouldn't do it. But Joyce…? He groaned again and felt the humiliation of a tear drop from his eye.

"Poor baby," she said, stroking his face. And then she yanked his head back, violently. "I will personally kill them all," she whispered into this ear. "Do you understand?" She released him. "You have 24 hours."

She turned to the man standing behind her.

"Make it louder," she said, and she left the cell. Her high heels ricocheted around the stone walls.

"Please, no…" Hopper wanted to cry out, but his throat was dry. He looked at the man in the suit, who was still standing there. He thought he saw half a smile flicker across his grey features, but then he too, turned and walked out of the room.

A sudden eruption of noise filled the cell. It consumed Hopper completely, pushing out thought. A terrible white noise that made him feel as if his senses were exploding. He closed his eyes and felt his body shaking.

She had been right. He couldn't take much more.


	13. Chapter 13

"Okay, so we made it. What now?" Dustin looked at Steve, then Robin and then back to Steve.

Steve shrugged, then he looked at Robin too, but she was pouring over a map of the city. He spied a restaurant and thought, longingly, of a plate of wings.

"Shall we got eat first?" He didn't realise how hungry he was.

Dustin clicked his fingers in front of his face. "Focus, Steve. We're all hungry, but we need to find Hopper first."

Steve sighed and tried to ignore the rumbling in his stomach.

"Bus routes…" Robin said and trailed off. She looked up and around and then began walking away from the airport. Steve and Dustin followed.

"Bus routes…?" Dustin tapped her on the shoulder.

"Shh, wait," she said.

Dustin glanced at Steve. "That's focus," he said. "You could learn a thing or two from her."

Steve glowered at Dustin. "I can't focus when I'm hungry," he whispered. He looked back, despairingly, as 'Grizzly's Pizza and Wings' slowly disappeared from view.

Robin stopped walking and smiled.

"You're really enjoying yourself, aren't you?" Steve had already decided he didn't like Anchorage.

Robin nodded. She stabbed the map with her finger. "The numbers were, 40 and 65, right?" She looked at Dustin. "And another number you didn't get."

"She spoke quickly," Dustin said plaintively.

"That doesn't matter now," Robin said. Her smile grew. "I know the other number…"

"Well?" Steve's hunger was affecting his mood. He wasn't sure how much patience he had.

"It's 55."

"Right, so we now have 3 different numbers that mean absolutely nothing…" He trailed off as he heard the petulance in his voice.

"Bus routes," Dustin said quietly. He grinned at Robin and then whacked Steve's shoulder with the back of his hand. "Bus routes," he said again.

Robin nodded.

"Bus routes," Steve repeated. He looked up. They were standing at a bus stop. "So, what? We have to catch 3 different buses…?"

Robin nodded. "Three different buses and we end up in a place called Fishguard."

A bus was coming towards them.

"Then what?" Steve asked.

"Then we find Hopper," Dustin said.

"Do you really think it's going to be that easy?" Steve watched the bus suspiciously. It was a number 40. "I'm not sure about this," he said. "The plan was to call those guys as soon as we arrived, right?"

The doors of the bus opened, and Robin jumped on.

"Wait! Shouldn't we have a base? A cheap hotel? A shower? Some food?"

Dustin followed Robin. He turned to Steve.

"The A-Team doesn't eat Faceman."

Steve went to speak, but he realised there was no point. Dustin grinned at him and behind him, the bus driver growled. He sighed and boarded the bus.

Dustin's grin grew until his whole face was swallowed.

"I bet there'll be food in Fishguard," he said.

* * *

"You're sure that's where they are?"

El nodded.

Jonathan still wasn't convinced. "Why would they hold them in Hawkins jail?"

"Because no one would think of looking there." Max shrugged. "This thing is big, so the perfect way to stay under the radar is to think small. They're clever." She smiled and looked at El. "But not as clever as us."

El smiled back.

"Okay, and this plan… Everyone is happy with it?" Mike wasn't entirely sure he was, but it was the only plan.

"The Hawkins jail isn't even really a jail and there is only one guard as far as I can see," El said. "So, it should be easy."

"You didn't see the men in black at the airport. Where are they hiding?"

"Their paymgrade is a bit too much to be sitting in Hawkins jail babysitting your mom and girlfriend!"

Jonathan scowled at Max, but she had a point.

"She has a point," Lucas said. He glanced at Max, hoping for a smile, but he was disappointed.

"Okay, so Mike, you and El and Will, go back to your Mom's and wait for those guys to call…"

"The A-Team," Will said.

Max snorted.

Jonathan frowned at his brother.

"The A-Team?"

"Dustin said that he, Robin and Steve were the A-Team and we were the B-Team."

El laughed, despite herself and she caught Max's eye. Max laughed too and then Mike joined in. Will looked at his older brother and shrugged, grinning.

"It's not funny," Jonathan said, but he was smiling now.

"Definitely not funny," Will said as he began to laugh.

For a moment, their laughter filled the gloomy corners of Hopper's cabin. The dust swirled merrily and the terrible thoughts they had all been living with seemed to lift from their shoulders.

But then the dust settled, and the gloom returned.

Jonathan picked up the bolt-cutters he had found and looked around at them all. His smile died on his face.

"Let's do this," he said, and the sombre silence of the cabin was restored.

* * *

There was no humour on the number 55 bus.

Steve was slumped forward. He was trying to hold onto the rage that was boiling inside him. He was hungry and tired, and they had been riding around on buses for the past hour.

He had watched several restaurants come and go from the windows, but Robin and Dustin, had denied him his basic need to replenish lost energy.

The bus stopped. An automated voice came out over the speak; 'this bus terminates here'. Steve looked up.

"Fishguard?" he asked.

Robin shrugged. "Fishguard, I guess."

They jumped off the bus and stood there as the cold, and the disappointment, seeped through their skin.

"So, this is Fishguard," Dustin said trying to sound cheerful. He was suddenly overcome with regret that they hadn't listened to Steve's idea to eat. His stomach lurched. They had been journeying now for a long time and as the bus pulled away, it seemed unlikely that they would find either any food, or Hopper, in the desolate town of Fishguard.

They might have been in the middle of nowhere. It was a town that looked as if it had dropped off the map.

"There's nothing here," Steve looked around. "Nothing," he said. "We've literally caught a bus to the middle of nowhere and now, we're stuck…" He watched the bus driving away and resisted the urge to run after it.

Robin glared at him. "You know what, I'm glad I don't like boys, because if I did, and you were my boyfriend, like I know you would like to be, I probably would have ripped your head off by now, and you would _still _probably find a way to carry on moaning."

"What?" Dustin's mouth dropped open.

"I so don't want to be your boyfriend," Steve hissed.

"Really?" Robin smirked. "So, before, when you said how much you liked me…"

"They were the drugs talking…"

"Guys." Dustin put up both hands, one each in front of Steve's and Robin's faces. "We need to focus." He lowered his hands. "But first things first…" He looked at Robin and grinned. "You don't like boys?"

"Shut up Dustin." Steve glanced at Robin and she smiled, briefly. He smiled back, or it might have been a grimace. Either way, it was a truce.

"Okay, so Fishguard looks as if no one has lived here for the past century, but shall we at least take a walk around?"

Robin looked at Dustin, who was still staring at her.

"Don't get any creepier," she said to him and then she clicked her fingers in front of his face. "Focus," she said sarcastically.

Steve had already started to walk away. He was suddenly hopeful there might be a café around the next corner. Every town, no matter how devoid of human life, had a café, he thought. A café and a service station, and either would do.

He turned the corner.

There wasn't a café. There wasn't even a service station. But there was something else.

He stopped and stared and waited for the others to join him. Robin and Dustin stopped and stared too.

There was a shop; the sign said: 'Fishguard Books' and parked further along the road, was a white van. On the side of the white van, in blue, were the words; 'Best Fish in Alaska'.

* * *

Hopper was shaking uncontrollably. His arms had been tied behind his back for so long, he felt as if his muscles were disintegrating. The woman before him smiled, snake-like, and then she straddled him. She moved against him and seemed to breathe him in and then she took hold of his greasy hair and yanked his head back.

"Do you think your precious Eleven will hear you screaming for mercy?" she whispered.

Hopper panted. He was struggling to breath, but she was oblivious. She bit his earlobe and Hopper winced.

"I'm going to enjoy this," she said. She climbed off him and drew a knife from a sheaf around her waist. "Last chance to call her," she said and licked her lips.

Behind her, the grey man watched in silence. His face was blank, and Hopper wondered if he was going to just watch her kill him.

* * *

"Okay, so, you guys are going to stay inside, stay safe and wait to hear from… the A-Team…" He shook his head, then smiled at his younger brother from inside the car.

"Be careful," Will said. "And, if it's dangerous…" He trailed off.

"If it's dangerous," Mike continued. "Then we regroup here and think of Plan B, okay?"

Jonathan nodded.

"See you soon." Max waved from the passenger seat and Lucas sat, unsmiling, in the back. He had the distinct impression that Max didn't care if he was there at all.

Jonathan drove off and El, Mike and Will waited until the car disappeared.

They walked up the front path and through the front door. Inside, they were relieved that Mrs Wheeler was out. She was oblivious to the chaos around her. She thought Nancy was taking advantage of her boyfriend being back in town, and despite not liking him very much, she was glad she was occupied. She was married to possibly the most boring man in the whole of Hawkins and wanted better for her daughter.

Mike poured drinks for everyone and offered around a plate of cookies. No one said anything. They just sat and waited.

* * *

Outside, a black sedan rolled to a stop.


	14. Chapter 14

"What if it's a trap?" Steve had a bad feeling about the bookshop. It just looked out of place. "I'm sure it's a trap."

Dustin looked at him contemptuously.

"You're scared," he said. He shook his head in disappointment. "I expected more from you."

Steve looked at Dustin. During the course of the journey from Hawkins, that had lasted, seemingly, forever, he had decided he no longer liked Dustin. Dustin met his gaze. His disappointment was evident.

"I'm not scared," he hissed. He looked at Robin, then back at Dustin. "Maybe I am a bit scared," he said. "It's stupid not to be scared." He sighed and dragged his fingers through his hair. "We'll be no good to Hopper if we get caught."

"He's right," Robin said. She looked at Dustin and then back to Steve. "I hate to admit it, but you're right."

Steve raised his hands to the air. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you."

"So, I'll go in and you guys stay here…"

"Wait! What?" Steve was beginning to feel as if he was the only sane one between them.

"And if I don't come out, then you know to send the cavalry in." She smiled. "It'll be okay, Steve. They don't know me and I'm just one, lost tourist…I'll go in, assess the situation, maybe ask about the weather…"

"The weather?" Steve frowned.

"Yes Steve. You may have been playing with the plastic chicken." She rolled her eyes when Steve continued to stare at her blankly. "It's the code. For information. We have to…" She stopped. "Never mind. Just stay here."

"I'll go with you."

Robin looked at Dustin. "No. You stay with Daddy," she said.

Dustin now turned his contemptuous glare upon Robin. "If there are two of us and something happens, one of us can get help." He grinned. "You know it makes sense," he said. "I'll be the lookout."

"You'll be the lookout?" Robin looked at Steve. "Is he for real?"

"It's not a bad idea," Steve said. He shrugged.

"Okay," Robin said, sighing. "Let's do this."

"Wait!" Robin looked at Steve.

"Don't do anything stupid," he hissed at her.

Robin pulled a face at him and walked away.

"She said she doesn't like boys, Steve," Dustin said. He winked at him and clapped his back and then hurried after Robin.

Steve leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He was hungry and it was getting cold and they were in the middle of nowhere and there was absolutely no way, they were going to find Hopper. They were stupid to have even tried.

He groaned quietly to himself and thought of chicken wings.

* * *

"Do you know what you're doing Lucas?" Max seemed to be challenging him.

"You don't need to worry about me, Max," he replied.

Jonathan looked between them both.

"Whatever's happened here," he said, gesturing with his hand, "between you guys I mean, needs to just be put on hold, okay? We need to focus on this and trust each other."

Lucas stared at Max. "I would always trust you," he said.

A smile glanced across Max's face. "I trust you too," she said.

"Okay, good." Jonathan switched the engine off and opened the car door. "Let's do this." He opened his boot and took out the bolt cutters and together they walked towards the Hawkins police station.

"I hope El was right," Jonathan mumbled under his breath.

"She was right," Max said.

He looked at her and nodded. "You ready?" Max nodded back. He turned to Lucas. "Ready?"

Lucas nodded. "Ready," he said.

Jonathan made a grab for Max, yanking her by the scruff of her t-shirt.

"Ow," she shouted. She struggled fiercely. "Leave me alone," she screamed. She began to lash out, swinging wildly with her fists.

Jonathan began to pant. "Jesus," he whispered. He kept a tight hold of her as he dragged her, kicking and screaming, all the way to the front of the police station.

Officer Callahan appeared at the doorway. He rushed out to help Jonathan, grabbing hold of Max who was red-faced and hissing like a cat.

"Calm down Missy," he said. He frowned at Jonathan. "What's with the wildcat?" he asked.

"Found them both vandalising my old house," he said through gritted teeth.

The officer glanced at the bolt-cutters and then looked at Lucas who looked down, seemingly contrite.

"You wanna think about who you're friends with son," he said to Lucas, pushing him ahead into the station. He turned to help Jonathan haul Max up the stairs.

It was gloomy inside the reception of the Hawkins jail. And empty.

"Is there no one else who can help with her?" Jonathan pleaded as Max's shoe connected with his shin again. He put the bolt cutters down.

Officer Callahan shook his head. "Powell is out on patrol. Just me." He was trying to keep Max at arm's length. "You need to calm down," he shouted, but it had an adverse effect on Max, and she wriggled even more frantically.

"What's with the bolt cutters?" he asked Jonathan.

"They were smashing windows…" Jonathan said as Max growled like an animal and tried to lunge at Officer Callahan.

"She's out of control," Lucas said. "When she has a melt-down like this, her step-dad usually locks her in her room. It's the only thing to calm her down."

"I can't hold her much longer," Jonathan said. Officer Callahan began to look flustered. "Haven't you got anywhere you can lock her up for a bit?"

"Not really," he said. "Not today." His face began to glow with sweat. "I'll have to make a call," he said.

Jonathan frowned at him. "What's the problem?" he said. "Don't tell me all your cells are occupied."

The glow on Officer Callahan's face intensified. Max caught Jonathan in his midriff with a punch. Jonathan lurched over, gasping.

Officer Callahan made a grab for Max, but Lucas jumped on him.

"Hey," he shouted. "Leave her alone!"

Officer Callahan flung Lucas to the ground. He was panting heavily.

"You need to do something," Jonathan said through gritted teeth.

Officer Callahan nodded. "Okay," he said. "This way." He glared at Lucas. "You too buddy." He dragged Lucas to his feet and marched him through a door into a brightly lit corridor. Two doors either side were closed. Jonathan saw they were the male/female restrooms. There were two other doors, both closed. And two cells. Both empty. At the end of the corridor, facing them, was another closed door.

Officer Callahan unhooked his key chain from his belt and opened one of the cells. Jonathan noticed his hands were shaking. He pushed Lucas inside and then flung Max after him. She fell to the floor dramatically, red hair flying.

"I'm going to put in a complaint about you," Lucas shouted.

Officer Callahan held up a bleeding finger. "You do that," he said. "And I'll have you down for assaulting a police officer." He looked at Jonathan, nervously. "I really could have done without you guys today," he said. He pointed his bloody finger through the bars. "You stay quiet, d'you hear?"

He walked away with jerky steps and opened the door towards reception. He waited, impatiently, for Jonathan. Jonathan glanced quickly at Max and Lucas.

There was no going back now.

* * *

The book shop was empty and dark, and it smelt of dust and mould.

"I'll be browsing," Dustin whispered, and he ducked behind a row of books.

A man appeared from a small room at the back of shop. He was wiping his hands.

"Can I help you," he said. He wasn't what Robin had expected. He was short and portly with a receding hairline. He peered at Robin with suspicion.

"I doubt it," Dustin muttered under his breath. The choice of books was sparse, largely consisting of fish related topics.

Robin cleared her throat and walked towards the man. She smiled, but his face remained impassive.

"I'm just passing through," she said.

"I see," he replied. "We don't get many people come this way anymore." He was still wiping his hands, nervously.

"No." Robin smiled again. Her plan had been to start up a friendly conversation before mentioning the weather, but she didn't fancy her chances of engaging the man before her in idle chit-chat. "I'll just browse then." She looked back, but Dustin had disappeared behind a row of books. Robin cleared her throat again. "It's mild," she said. "For this time of year."

"I beg your pardon," the man said.

Robin stared at him. "Er…"

A woman appeared. "That's okay Daddy," she said a little too brightly. She had an English accent. "I'll deal with this customer."

'Daddy' looked as if he had been scolded. He cast his eyes down and disappeared into the darkness behind him. The woman, smooth and glossy, but with steely blue eyes, stared at Robin.

"You were saying?" she said. She smiled, but there was something unnerving in her smile.

Robin fleetingly wondered if Steve's reluctance had been warranted. But she didn't think there was an alternative. Not now.

"I was just saying," she said. "It's mild for this time of year."

"So it is," the woman replied and, as if from nowhere, she produced a gun. She pointed it at Robin's head. "I'm impressed you found us," she said. "It was deigned to be convoluted. We had to make it _seem _like we wanted to help you." Her smiled grew. "It's just a shame you didn't persuade Eleven to come with you."

"Why is that?"

The woman cocked the gun. "Quite simply," she said. "We would have swapped her for you. But you, my dear, are expendable and so too, are your two friends." She stood aside and gestured with the gun. "Why don't we go back here and wait for them," she said. "Assuming they like you enough to come and find out what's keeping you so long."

Robin edged around the counter. As she passed the woman, she smelt the sweetness of her perfume. It was strong. Overpowering almost. She glanced at her, wondering if she would be able to plead with her, but the woman looked like ice.

Robin felt the gun, hard against her back. She walked into the dark and dingy bowels of the shop and felt as if she was being swallowed.

Dustin had made himself as small as possible. He had seen the woman, through a gap in the books and he had seen the gun too. And now Robin was gone. He looked out of the grimy window behind him, but Steve had stayed well out of sight.

"Where are you Steve?" his whispered.

"Hiding won't do you any good." A voice filtered towards Dustin between the books. He looked up and saw someone peering at him from the other side of the shelf. The small, somewhat, opaque eyes, appraised him. "Move," the voice said. "Quickly."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Sorry this has been so long coming (over 2 weeks!). If you're still enjoying it, please let me know by leaving a review and I promise to update more regularly! Thanks :-)


	15. Chapter 15

"Help! Help!"

The door crashed open and Officer Callahan stood there. His eyes were drawn to the motionless figure on the cell floor. The colour drained from his face.

Jonathan appeared behind him. "What's happened?" But he could see; Max was lifeless on the floor. Her red hair fanned out around her pale face. He looked at Officer Callahan. "You know first aid, right?" Officer Callahan nodded, but his mouth was hanging open as if in shock.

"Please! She's not breathing." Lucas was kneeling at Max's side. He touched her face. "She's so cold," he said.

"We need to help her," Jonathan shouted. For a moment he thought he might have to slap the police officer, but he suddenly seemed to grasp the severity of the situation. He unhooked his keys and with shaking hands unlocked the cell door.

He dashed over to Max, but Lucas had thrown himself over her body.

"Don't touch her," he yelled. He began to sob uncontrollably. Jonathan edged into the cell. Officer Callahan tried to pull Lucas away, but he held on, wailing.

"You need to let me attend her son," he said, trying again to dislodge Lucas, but he just cried louder. Officer Callahan looked at Jonathan. "I need help," he said.

Jonathan nodded and walked further into the cell. He positioned himself behind Officer Callahan and looked at the holster he wore around his waist. At the gun that sat nestled there. Officer Callahan was sweating now and grunting with exertion.

Jonathan took a deep breath and leaned down and with a swift movement, he pulled the gun free from its holster. Officer Callahan felt it and turned around puzzled. He came face to face with his own revolver.

"I'm sorry," Jonathan stammered. "Get up Max," he said. "Lucas."

Max opened her eyes and stood up. She glanced at Lucas and a small smile played across her face.

Officer Callahan was whiter than he had been before. "What the hell is going on here?" he asked.

"Grab his keys Lucas," Jonathan said. Officer Callahan watched, in horror, as Lucas unhooked the keys. "I'm sorry," Jonathan said again. He began to back away.

"You're going to get in serious trouble for this," Officer Callahan said. His face had gone from being white to red. Jonathan saw him clenching his fists.

He nodded. "Maybe, but what if I told you Hopper was alive."

Officer Callahan shook his head. Then he laughed with derision. "We buried him," he said.

"So they would have us believe." Jonathan stepped outside the cell. Max and Lucas followed. "Why did they say to keep my Mom and Nancy locked up back there," Jonathan said gesturing to the closed door at the end of the hallway.

Officer Callahan went to speak, but then shut his mouth again. He frowned.

"Did they threaten you?"

Jonathan closed the cell door and Lucas began to fumble for the key, but his hands were shaking. Max took them from him.

"Hurry," Jonathan said to Max. He looked back at Officer Callahan. "This is bigger than all of us," he said. "But Hopper is alive and we're trying to find him. And they, whoever _they_ are, are trying to stop us." He smiled. "Hopper will be grateful to you."

Max was on her third key. She turned it and heard the welcome sound of the lock sliding into place.

Officer Callahan slumped in defeat. "They'll find you," he said. "So, unless you can disappear, I'll see you back here sometime soon."

Jonathan nodded. "Then I guess we're going to disappear," he said. He looked at Max and Lucas. "Okay," he said. "We need to move."

They walked to the closed door and listened, but it was silent on the other side. Jonathan looked at the lock. It was different and there was only one key that could possibly fit it. He unlocked the door with ease and pushed it open. It was thick metal, and heavy. The gloom of the space beyond came to meet them.

With the gun still clutched in his sweating hand, Jonathan stepped over the threshold. There were two doors, one either side. Both closed. But there was no keyhole, just a latch lock. He looked at Lucas and then at Max and then back at the lock. He turned it and pushed the door open.

Nancy was sitting at a white table. She had a rag stuffed in her mouth and her hands were attached to the legs of the chair either side of her. Her head was lolling forward onto her chest.

"Nancy!" Jonathan ran to her. "Nancy," he said again. She lifted her head and looked at him. He saw a tear fall from her eye. "It's okay," he said. "It's okay." He took the rag from her mouth and hugged her as she leaned against his shoulder.

"We need the bolt cutters for these cuffs," Jonathan said. "And check the other door," he said. "Be careful."

Max nodded and gestured for Lucas to go with her.

"Bonnie and Clyde," Lucas said with a grin. His grin got bigger when he saw Max smile.

* * *

"We need to leave," Mike said panic stricken. El stood up. She was tired. She had wanted to rest. Needed to rest. "We need to leave NOW!"

"What is it?" Will asked. His voice sounded calm, but inside he was panicking.

"Move now, talk later!" Mike grabbed Will by the scruff and dragged him to his feet. He looked at El and she saw the fear in his eyes. They were here for her. They all knew it. "Let's go," Mike said.

"Where?" El looked towards the front door.

Mike waved keys at her. "Basement first, then out the window and then…"

"You're going to drive us out of here," Will asked.

Mike pulled him along to the door that led downstairs. "Unless you want to," he hissed.

* * *

Hopper cried out in pain. The point of the knife had drawn a line down the middle of his chest. The woman smiled, enjoying herself.

"Can she hear you screaming, do you think?" she whispered.

Hopper ground his teeth together. He looked at the woman. At her blue eyes that seemed ablaze with pleasure.

"Why do you want her so much?" he asked. "She's just a little girl."

The woman laughed. "But she's not _just _a little girl, is she? She's probably the most powerful weapon we can ever hope to possess."

Hopper shook his head. It was difficult to think. Much less speak.

"Weapon?" he said. He was confused. Were they talking about El still?

"The Russians wanted to control the creature. We thought we could control it too, but we were both naïve. Only she can, of course. It knew that and that's why it wanted to kill her. But we don't want to kill her," she whispered. "We want to harness her mind and learn from her." She smiled like a shark. "With her help, the creature will be under our control."

She ran the sharp blade of the knife against Hopper's leg. He watched it, afraid. Then she leaned against its hilt until it pierced his skin. He grimaced with the pain. He felt the sweat soaking his body. Then he felt the warm flow of his blood.

"It can't be controlled," he said, panting.

"We'll see," she said. She licked her lips. "I missed your main artery, but I won't next time, and even without you, we'll still get the girl." She sighed and pouted. "It would have been easier if you had complied. We could have had some fun together." She sighed. "Never mind. I still get to have my fun."

The door opened. The thin grey man stood there. Hopper looked at him over the woman's shoulder. She was leaning over him still. Her hair was tickling his face. She didn't bother turning around.

"They think they've found the girl," he said.

"I'm still not going to let you live," the woman whispered to Hopper. She gripped his leg that was now wet with blood and squeezed. Hopper closed his eyes. He was a big man. A strong man, but this woman was breaking him. He tried not to think of El, but he knew if she could find him, they would come for him and this would all be over. The woman squeezed tighter still, and Hopper gasped, then he opened his eyes and stared into her soulless ones.

And all he could think of was that he wouldn't be there to protect El.


	16. Chapter 16

"What if they're waiting?"

Mike turned to look at Will. "They won't be."

"But what if they are?"

Mike sighed. He was balancing on top of a chair, on top of a box, on top of an old rickety table. He had already eased open the basement window, but there wasn't much to see except for trees and sky.

"We just need to stop talking about it and be quick. They don't know we've seen them." He looked at El. "I go first, then you follow, then Will. Okay?"

El nodded. She reached out a hand and took Will's fingers and squeezed. She was afraid too.

Mike turned back to the window and pushed it open wide. Then he heaved himself up and flopped, like a caught fish, half in and half out.

"There's no one here," he hissed. He wriggled himself outside, disappearing. El and Will watched, seeing nothing. They were afraid of hearing a sudden shout, and the ensuing silence did nothing to calm their nerves, but then Mike's face appeared. "All clear," he said, with an attempt at a smile.

El clambered up as Mike had done. The table wobbled precariously, and for a moment she imagined the whole structure collapsing. But she steadied herself and gingerly navigated the box, until she was standing, legs apart balancing, on top of the chair. She looked down at Will and smiled reassuringly.

"Easy peasey," she said. She heaved herself up as Mike had done and wriggled free from the tight space. It was warm outside and still. She heard a phone ringing somewhere and a dog barking. Normal things.

"We need to hurry," Mike whispered to Will as El climbed to her feet. And then they heard glass splintering somewhere.

Mike and El looked at each other.

"Get the car ready," El said to Mike urgently. "I'll stay with Will." He nodded, clutching the keys tightly in his hand. "Be careful," she said.

"I love you," Mike said.

"I know," said El. "Go."

* * *

Steve was thinking of chicken when out of the blue, something ran into him, head on. He opened his eyes. It was Dustin.

"Don't tell me," Dustin said. "You're standing there thinking of food." His voice sounded funny. High pitched. He took off his cap and ran his hand through his hair and then he screwed up his eyes and groaned. "We're in trouble," he said opening his eyes again. "Big trouble. Monumental."

Steve pushed himself off the wall. As much as he hadn't liked the plan in the first place, he had trusted Robin who always managed to say and do the right things. He hadn't really expected anything to go wrong.

"Dustin," he said. "Where's Robin?" He could see Dustin had a strange look in his eyes. He took hold of his shoulders. "Where is she?"

Dustin put his cap back on. "She had a gun," he said quietly.

Steve let go of Dustin. "Robin had a gun?" He frowned. He didn't imagine Robin as a gun toting outlaw.

"No Steve, not Robin. Where would Robin get a gun!" Contempt diluted Dustin's panic. He shook his head as if disappointed. "You really don't think before you speak, do you?"

Steve planted his hands firmly on Dustin's shoulders again and leaned in towards his face.

"Who has a gun and where is Robin?" he hissed.

"Some crazy woman in there. I was hiding. Then an old man saw me and gave me these…" He held some keys in the air. "He dragged me outside and told me I needed to get away. Said they had been waiting for us. It's his shop."

"What are the keys for?"

Dustin nervously peeked around the corner and grabbed hold of Steve's shirt front, pulling him.

"That van," he said.

"We need to just call the police," Steve said. He began pacing. He thought of Robin's grandmother in that old house all alone. Why had he agreed to any of this? Why couldn't he just have the peaceful life he wanted?

"Do you really think they'll come out with their hands up if the police come?" Dustin planted himself in front of Steve. "This woman meant business Steve. We need to help Robin."

"In case you've forgotten what you told me Dustin. She had a gun." Steve felt his panic growing. He dug around in his pockets. "Hang on," he said. "I do have something here that might be useful." He produced a stick of gum. "Perfect," he said. "You distract her, and I'll stick her hands together." He laughed manically.

Dustin dangled the keys in front of Steve's face.

"We have a van," he said.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"We need to move. _Now." _Dustin said.

Steve nodded and took the keys.

They checked the street again. It was deserted, like before, but now they knew there was someone inside the dingy old bookshop with a gun. Steve imagined a life behind bars as he ran towards the van and the promise of the 'Best Fish in Alaska'.

* * *

Nancy was sitting in the passenger seat of Jonathan's car. He knew she was crying, but she was trying to hide as she looked out of the window. He glanced at his mum's reflection in the rear-view mirror. He smiled at her.

"Where's Will?" she said.

"Safe."

Joyce smiled. "Thank you," she said quietly. She was in between Max and Lucas and was holding both their hands. She squeezed them tightly. "Thank you," she said again.

Nancy's sniffles got louder. Jonathan put a hand on her leg.

"You're safe now," he said.

Nancy looked at him with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"They stuffed that dirty rag in my mouth because they said I talked to much." Her face crumpled as she dissolved in tears.

Joyce leaned forwards and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You were brilliant," she whispered. She squeezed gently. "Strong and courageous."

Nancy looked at Joyce and smiled. Then she laughed.

"I suppose I don't blame them for trying to shut me up," she said. "I did go on a bit."

"More than a bit I would say," Joyce said.

* * *

Mike had driven before. Just once. But it was just around a carpark and Nancy had been in the passenger seat.

Now he sat there knowing he had no idea how to drive a car. It was a sobering thought. How could he make a quick getaway and out manouvure those men?

He groaned. The car was parked in the driveway, and the keys were dangling in the ignition, but he was too afraid to turn the engine over. The black sedan was parked up the road still.

Doors were yanked open.

"Let's go Mike," Will said panting furiously.

Mike looked at El who had climbed into the passenger seat.

"This is a bad idea," he said. "They'll hear the car start up and catch us. We may as well run for it."

"And go where? It's too far to Hopper's cabin and they'll be watching all our houses."

"Will's right," El said. "We need to go Mike."

Mike shook his head. "I can't," he said. "I don't remember how to drive. I never even really knew in the first place."

"I'll drive," Will said.

Mike turned around in his seat. "If you think you can do better than me…"

Will grinned. "Jonathan has been teaching me," he said.

* * *

Steve took a deep breath and went to turn the key in the ignition.

"Wait," Dustin said. "What's the plan?"

"Plan?" Steve said. "There is no plan, Dustin."

"But she has a gun…" Dustin trailed off.

Steve nodded. "I know," he said. "Stay low."

"You're a good friend," Dustin said.

"Don't do that," Steve said. "Let's just focus on getting Robin out of there."

"May the Force be with you," Dustin said, as he repositioned his cap.

"Don't do that either," Steve said.

He turned the ignition and the van spluttered to life. He shoved the stick into first and slammed on the accelerator. The unwelcome image of having to wear orange every day for the rest of his life intruded on his mind.

It was obliterated by the sound of splintering glass and wood as he ploughed into the bookshop. The impact slowed them, but Steve kept his foot on the pedal, so the van kept moving through the debris.

The old man appeared. His face was a mask of horror.

Steve stopped the van.

"Where is she?" he asked as he pushed open the door. He jumped down, landing on glass and ruined books. The man couldn't speak, but then he saw Dustin.

"I didn't tell you to wreck my shop," he croaked.

"No, but you said those people had ruined this town and there was nothing left for you here." The old man blinked. He had opaque eyes and grey, wiry hair. He reminded Steve of an old dog.

"Where is she?" Steve asked again. He felt a trickle of blood running down his hand. He looked at it and wiped it on his jeans.

"You killed her," the old man said, and the orange image trampled right back into Steve's head.

* * *

Mike shot back in his seat as Will slammed his foot down on the accelerator. He could see El, in the passenger seat, holding on tight.

Will had eased out of the driveway, quietly and carefully. It was impossible to think of a car being purposefully stealthy, but that was exactly what it had felt like.

They had crawled down the road. Mike had been watching the black car out of the rear window, but it remained stationery.

The car turned the corner at the end of the road and Will maintained the sedate pace. No one said a word. Another corner. Another leafy road. Trawling through town. Back streets that took them further and further away and still no sign of the black car.

And then Will hit the Freeway.

"Will, buddy," Mike said. "Slow down."

Will gripped the steering wheel. His shoulders were tense.

"When will this end?" he said, but he eased off the accelerator and dropped to a legal speed.

* * *

El gasped and clutched her head.

"What is it El?" Mike leaned forward and reached out his hand to touch her. She turned to him. Her eyes were swimming with tears.

"Hopper," she cried. "He's going."

"What do you mean?" Mike said. Will had slowed down too much. Cars were sounding their horns at him. "Where's he going?"

"Dying," she said. Despair contorted her face. "He's dying."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this has taken a while. Hope you guys are still enjoying! Let me know and Happy Christmas :-)


	17. Chapter 17

"Steve…" Steve turned and very nearly dissolved into tears.

"Robin!" He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. "He said you were dead." He looked at the old man accusingly and like an old dog, he shrunk with guilt.

"I meant the other woman," he said. "You killed the lunatic with the gun."

Dustin grinned. "Nice driving," he said.

Robin pulled herself away from Steve. "And lucky," she said. "You could have killed me."

"You're welcome," Steve said. He took a step backwards, feeling awkward at his display of affection. It didn't help that Dustin was grinning inanely at him.

"I love it when a plan comes together," Dustin said.

Steve frowned at him and shook his head in disdain. "You watch too much TV," he said.

"Boys, focus!" Robin, bleeding slightly from a wound to her head, planted her hands on her hips. "Okay, so you've rescued me from the gun-toting lunatic, but what now?"

They all turned to look at the old man.

"Don't look at me," he said.

"You must know something," Steve took a step towards him, but the old man backed away, frightened.

Dustin stepped in front of Steve. "Don't be frightened of the ape," Dustin said. He smiled at the old man. "Don't you want this to all be over?"

The old man suddenly collapsed into a chair. He put a shaking hand up to his weathered old face.

"Everyone's gone. They were all too afraid of those people."

"Who are they?" Robin asked. She wiped at the blood that was trickling down her cheek. "Russians?"

"I don't know. All dressed in black with their guns and threats. And then there was that woman…" the old man jerked his head towards the rubble at the back of the shop. "She was British I think, but she spoke Russian. She decided she liked my shop. She said she liked books and old things." He grimaced. "She was a contemptuous, cruel woman. I heard her on the phone sometimes, giving out orders. Giving someone permission to torture some poor soul…" He trailed off and sighed and then he looked at Steve and then Robin and finally Dustin.

"How _old _are you?" he asked shaking his head. Then he laughed dolefully. "They knew you were coming. They were waiting for you."

"Hang on," Steve said. "You said you heard her giving orders to torture someone…" He glanced at the others. "Do you know who?" The old man shook his head. "Or where they were keeping him?"

The old man looked up and then he nodded.

"Down at the docks," he said. "Best Fish in Alaska."

* * *

"El, don't do this." Mike gripped El's arms. "Please," he said. "It's dangerous."

"He needs me, Mike," El said. Her voice sounded strange and distant as if she was already going to that place in her mind.

El closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I suddenly feel so much stronger," she said. She opened her eyes again and they flashed dangerously. "I can help him. I know I can."

"And what about us, El?" Will was looking through a grimy window, partially hidden by a faded curtain, certain the black sedan would turn up at any point. Outside, the rain had turned everything grey. He turned to El. "Have you thought about the danger you're putting us all in by going back there…" He trailed off. He knew how much Hopper meant to her, but he could _feel _the thing waiting somewhere. It was like a slumbering beast and as soon as it was properly awake, it would rampage through Hawkins. Again. He stood up and walked over to El.

"You know, don't you, that the reason they've kept Hopper alive, is to lure you there, to help him."

El shook her head. She didn't want to think about the thing in her mind. She knew it was there too, but she could beat it now. She knew she could.

"I won't let them take me," she said. "But I have to help Hopper."

"But he may already dead, El." Mike took her hand in both of his. "You said yourself you could feel him leaving…" El smiled at him, sadly, and withdrew her hand. Then she stood up.

"I know you don't understand why I have to do this, but I can help him. Right now. I know I can save him."

Mike turned away in irritation. "And what if you can't? What if, he dies, or he's already dead, and you unleash that creature…"

"I won't, Mike. Trust me." El reached out to Mike, but he took a step back.

"Don't do this," he said.

A solitary tear snaked its way down El's cheek. She sniffed and shook her head, wanting to keep hold of the fire she felt inside her. Raging flames that made her feel invincible. She could feel Hopper's pain and knew what she had to do.

She turned to Will. "I'm sorry," she said again. "Hopper gave me my life and I have to save him." Then she looked at Mike again. "I love you," she said.

She turned and walked into the empty room, closing the door behind her.

"I know," Mike said.

Outside, the rain continued to fall.

* * *

"Keep driving!" Nancy sunk down in the passenger seat of Jonathan's car. "Get down," she hissed to Joyce.

Jonathan eased his foot onto the accelerator and passed the Wheeler house. There was a man, dressed in black, standing at the open front door. He was talking into a walkie-talkie and another man was walking around from the back.

Joyce groaned from the back.

"They can't have been there Mom." Jonathan glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw the haunted expression in his mom's eyes. "There was no sign of them, and those men wouldn't be there if they had been caught. They escaped, okay?"

She nodded, still afraid.

"Where are they?" Max looked across at Lucas. They had so many places they went to when they wanted to get away from the grown-ups. Or from life.

"Hopper's cabin?" Nancy suggested.

Max shrugged. "Worth a shot," she said.

* * *

Steve gripped the steering wheel.

"What now?"

"Speed up," Dustin said.

"What?" Steve turned in his seat. "Speed up? And do what?"

"Put this on." He handed Steve a cap. The writing on the front said, 'Best Fish in Alaska'.

"This is no kind of a plan." Steve took the cap and put it on his head. He looked at Robin.

She shrugged. "It seemed to work well before."

Steve pulled the peak down low over his eyes. He looked ahead at the wharf area. There was one white building that was an 'L' shape and several shipping containers. There was a small guardhouse and retractable barrier, but no sign of any guard. The whole area looked derelict.

"He could be anywhere," Steve said.

"Not anywhere…" Robin pointed to the white building. A small door opened, and a woman stood there. "It's the woman from the bookshop," she said.

Dustin looked at her. "You hit your head, Robin. She died."

Robin rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dustin, I know that. She looks identical. She's a sister, or twin maybe…"

They all looked at the woman. She was on a walkie-talkie and she was gesticulating angrily.

"Here's a thought," Dustin said. "Maybe she's just found you killed her sister…"

"I killed her?" Steve wanted to feel angry, but instead he just felt a sense of foreboding. "If I do this and Hopper's not there…" He revved the engine and wondered how many years he would be serving and how many more he would get doing what he was about to do. "Hold on," he said.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the long delay. Hopefully back to normality now. Review if you like! :-)


	18. Chapter 18

El was on the floor. She could feel the cheap carpet, rough against her hands. It felt a bit like sand. She listened to the rain. It was a heavy downpour. The noise of it got inside her head. It helped. It meant she didn't have to listen to silence. Silence heavy with Mike's anger and Will's pain. And her own, engulfing, fear.

Her mind was waiting. She stepped into it. It was so easy. The carpet and the rain disappeared. She was looking out to sea. There was a storm blowing and the waves looked as if they were exploding. She looked out at the grey and couldn't work out where the sky ended. Then she heard a voice. It was his voice.

She turned around. Hopper was on the floor and he was reaching out to her. He had a crazed look in his eyes.

_I'm here to save you,_ she thought. Then she realised Hopper was trying to save her.

Behind her, a wave reared up and pounced. She didn't stand a chance and it took her away from Hopper. She fought it. Struggling to free herself from its icy embrace.

And then she was lying on a beach. This time, the sand was real underneath her fingertips. She opened her eyes and sat up. The sea was calm now. Peaceful. Like a lake. She walked to the water's edge and realised there were no waves. She stepped out onto the water and began to walk towards something.

Someone was out there. A man. He was sitting in a chair. His head was slumped forward on his chest. She could see blood dripping from wounds on his exposed chest and his leg was soaked with blood too. It was Hopper. She called out his name and ran towards him.

His eyes opened. He held out one hand towards her.

"You shouldn't have come," he said. As if it was too heavy, he dropped his arm, but his eyes stayed fixed upon El. They had lost their colour. Even his blood seemed grey.

She reached him and flung her arms around him. She felt his life as it struggled to stay inside his broken body. It was like holding on to a plastic bag full of air. She poured her own life into him. She felt it leaving through her fingertips.

"Don't die again," she said.

Something else was there. She looked up and the sky, blue before, was suddenly descending in darkness. It was pressing down on her. It roared loudly.

_Another storm, _she thought. But it wasn't another storm. The sky had eyes.

There was a crashing sound. Glass. Yells. Hopper and… someone else. Was he safe now? The sky was making it impossible for her to see. It surrounded her. Like a cocoon. Like a tomb.

_It's too dark,_ she thought.

* * *

The woman was looking forward to killing this man slowly. There was nothing she liked more than to see a strong man beg and shrivel and then finally, die. And he was a strong man. Correction, he _was _a strong man.

"Did you hear me," the man behind her said.

She turned to him. The sooner this was over, and she could kill him too, the better. He was too thin. Too grey and no fun.

"I heard you," she said. "They think they've found the girl." She sighed. "Where?"

"They're at the boys house. The Wheeler boy."

"They're like rats those kids. They'll probably find a hole to sneak out of."

"There's something else," the man said. "I think you need to come outside for this…"

The woman turned to Hopper. "Looks like we need to be patient," she said. "I'll be back." She crossed to the door.

Hopper watched her. Even his eyes hurt.

"Who do you work for?" he asked. It exhausted him to speak. He could feel his life ebbing away. She may not have cut an artery, but he knew he was dying anyway. He could feel it inside. Everything was closing down. It was like someone shutting up shop for the day. _Forever._

The woman turned around and smiled, then she walked back to him. The sound of her heels clattering against the stone floor was jarring. She draped her hand across her shoulder and then slowly walked around him as if he were an exhibit in a zoo. Hopper felt her fingers dancing across his neck, down his back, along to his other shoulder and down his arm. Then she leant down and whispered in his ear.

"Who do I work for?" she repeated. "Well that rather depends on what the prize is…" She bit his lobe making Hopper wince. "And you were quite a prize Mr Policeman." She sighed luxuriously. Then she slapped him, hard, across the face. She grinned. "Don't forget me."

She walked back to the door and stood there until the grey man opened it for her. He kept his eyes cast down and only when the woman had walked out of the room, did he look at Hopper. Whoever this man was, Hopper thought, he was leaving it a bit late.

Hopper closed his eyes and thought of Joyce. And then he thought of El too. If he could hang on, he would, for them. But he didn't think he could anymore.

* * *

"This better be good," the woman said without turning around.

They came to a small white door. The man opened it for her and they walked outside. She turned to him expectantly.

"Well?"

He handed her his walkie-talkie.

She spoke into it. "Someone needs me?"

The reception was bad inside, but now the man heard the voice clear. The person speaking kept his voice even. It would do no good to show emotion, or to pass on condolences. She would see it as a weakness.

"Ariana is dead."

The woman took a deep breath. The only outward sign of distress was the white of her knuckles as she clenched the walkie-talkie in her hand. But then she relaxed.

"How did it happen?"

"One of our vans smashed into the shop…"

The woman listened with growing contempt.

She didn't want to hear any more. She was sad her sister was dead. She had loved her. But she had a job to do.

"There's something else," the voice said.

The woman was beginning to feel fury boiling inside herself. No one could do the job as well as she. This man was spoiling her afternoon. She glanced at the grey man. He did well to keep his eyes down. She might let him live after all. After she had killed the policeman.

"Speak!" she shouted. She began to pace, agitated.

"The Wheeler house was empty. We think the kids escaped."

"Escaped?" Now she was livid. "Who let them escape? Do you know where they went? Who was in charge at the scene?" She fired questions at the man. She only wished they were bullets. She had given up smoking 8 years earlier, now she was desperate for a cigarette.

She looked at the grey man. Perhaps he smoked. She went to ask him, but something made her stop. He was staring at something. She turned to see what it was.

A van.

A white van with 'The Best Fish in Alaska', emblazoned in blue on the side. And it was heading straight for them. She had time to see the man driving. Or was he just a boy? And another boy with lots of hair and a simple smile and a girl too…

And then she hard the sound of glass and tearing metal.

Now she was really pissed.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: As always, your reviews are really inspiring for me :-)


	19. Chapter 19

Hopper, alone in the room he had been tortured in the for days, began to give up. He didn't want to close his eyes because he was certain he wouldn't wake up again, but his eyes closed anyway. He drifted. He could have been on a raft floating out to sea. He felt the warmth of the sun on his face. It was peaceful, but he kept seeing El. She needed him. He reached out to her, to save her, but he couldn't.

He was no longer on a raft, but back in the chair. His binds tight around his wrists, cutting through his flesh. His wounds leaking blood. And then El was there. She was coming for him. She wanted to save him, and he felt her giving him her life. He cried as he felt the warmth of her embrace. He loved her like a daughter. She _was _his daughter.

_Sarah. _

She had been gone a long time. El was alive. He had to be alive too.

He opened his eyes. Something else was there too. Something terrible and it wanted El. He fought against his binds. It was useless.

Then he heard something collapsing. Glass and concrete falling.

* * *

Steve looked across at Dustin.

"You okay?" Dustin nodded. "Robin?"

She smiled. "Still alive," she said. She leaned over Steve. "You're bleeding," she said and wiped a streak of blood from his cheek.

Dustin watched. "I'm bleeding too." He held up his hand. Blood was dripping from his knuckle.

"Sometimes I forget you're just a teenager, Dustin," Robin said sweetly. "Sometimes, it's like you're five!"

"Rude." Dustin licked his blood. "Especially since I was instrumental in saving your life."

"Don't you mean instrumental in nearly killing me…"

"Guys…" Steve was opening his door. A tall thin man was climbing to his feet. He was dressed in what would have been a smart suit, but it was covered in dirt and dust now and he had blood oozing from a tear on his arm. He stumbled. He had blood smeared across his head too.

"Take this," Robin handed a gun to Steve.

"What?" Steve recoiled. "Why do you have a gun?"

"I took it from the mad woman." She waved it at Steve. "I'm not telling you to use it, just to help us get in and out without dying."

Steve put up his hands. "Okay, but please stop waving it around."

The man was looking around confused. Some way off, the motionless body of the woman was sprawled ungainly. She had lost a shoe.

Steve got out of the van, holding the gun as if it were a rotting vegetable. He aimed it, but it drooped pathetically and went off at the man's feet. Shards of concrete flew skywards, and the man hopped back. The confusion fled and he put up his hands.

Dustin and Robin tucked themselves behind Steve.

"Nice shooting," Dustin hissed in his ear.

"Shut up!" Steve hissed back.

"Where is he?" Robin walked towards the grey man. "My friend will hit your foot next time and then your knee, so you may as well tell us where he is."

Steve gulped and tried to get a firmer grip on the gun. It was heavy and his hands were sweating. He tried to look tough, but knew he probably looked terrified.

"He's in there," the man gestured towards the small door.

Robin glanced at Steve. It had been easier than expected.

"Okay, move." Steve was beginning to feel more in charge now. He was holding the gun. He could do this. "I said, move…" He waved the gun at the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dustin watching him. His eyes flicked towards him. "Don't say a word," he said.

Dustin grinned and put up his hands. "Hey, you're the one with the gun."

The man stumbled over the debris to the door. He punched in a number and went inside. Steve followed with Robin and Dustin close behind.

"Down the end," the man said.

"Show us," Steve prodded him in the back and then winced himself. He really didn't want to accidentally shoot him.

They walked along a narrow corridor to a door at the end. The man turned and looked at them.

"He's not in good shape," he warned.

"Open it," Steve said.

The man unlocked the door and pushed it open. It was heavy and he had to lean against it. Inside it was dark with a tiny slit of a window near the ceiling. The smell was bad. Sweat and urine and worse.

"Oh god," Dustin said and pulled his top up over his nose.

The man sitting unconscious in the middle of the room was barely recognisable. His beard was long, and his face was like a road map. Some of his wounds had scabbed over, but some were fresh as if he was being regularly beaten. He looked shrunken. Almost half the size of Hopper and he had fresh blood flowing from a wound on his leg and another on his chest.

"Is it Hopper?" Robin said.

"It's him." The man walked over to him and felt his pulse. "He's still alive," he said.

"That's the best news I've heard all day."

They spun around. Standing in the doorway was the woman. She had a deep gash on her head and blood pouring from her leg. Her pristine suit had been ripped beyond repair. And in her hand, she held a gun much more efficiently than Steve.

* * *

"No one's here." Jonathan looked over at his Mom. He saw the fear in her eyes. He knew she couldn't bear to lose Will again. "We'll find them, Mom."

"How about your old house, Mr Byers?"

Max was scared too. She had spent so much of her life alone, never feeling good enough. And then she had come to Hawkins and met Lucas and Dustin and Mike and El. And Will. It was like having a family and she would do anything to protect them. She couldn't lose them.

"That's not a bad idea," Jonathan said.

"But it's derelict now, isn't it?" Nancy wasn't sure.

"Even better," Lucas said. He shrugged. "Trust me." He looked at Max and smiled. "Max is right, we should try there."

"Let's go then." Jonathan led them all back to the car, but he had a terrible feeling that time was running out.

* * *

"El! El!" Mike had been calling her, but she wouldn't wake up. "Wake up, El!" He shook her.

He looked around. Will was standing there watching, his eyes wide in fear.

"Is she dead?" he asked. He didn't mean it to sound so cold, but she looked dead. She was so white and so still. He saw Mike was struggling not to cry. "Let me check," he said reaching down. He knew where to find a pulse. He closed his eyes as he put his fingers against her neck.

_Please don't let her be dead _he said to himself. He waited. He felt a soft _thump _and waited until he felt it again. Soft and weak, but it was a pulse. He smiled.

"Alive," he said.

Mike's tears rolled joyously down his cheeks.

"Why won't she wake up?"

Will shrugged. "Let's get her out to the car…" He trailed off.

"Then what?"

Will shrugged again.

Outside they heard a car pulling up.

* * *

"If we don't find those kids, we will be sent back to Russia and our lives will be made exceedingly uncomfortable."

The man driving the black sedan grimaced. He glanced across at his comrade. He wished he would stop talking. He preferred quiet. He preferred listening to Stravinsky. The power of classical music was able to move him far more than any human interaction.

"I'm glad one of them is dead. _Sooka,_" he said. "Perhaps they'll manage to kill the other one and then we can be free."

Once more the driver glanced at his companion. What did he mean, he wondered? No man was free. They were being paid. Well. They had reason to believe both the Russians and the Americans wanted this 'weapon', whatever it was, and that only one child could access it. They had no loyalty to either side. And now the British were involved too.

Sergei Prokofiev gripped the steering wheel.

"Where now?" he asked.

Dmitri sighed in irritation. "An old derelict house," he said. "That is where we will find them and then this will all be over. And we can take our money and leave, eh?" He grinned at Sergei. "We shall celebrate tonight, my friend."

Dmitiri thought he may well have to kill Sergei before he celebrated.


	20. Chapter 20

Steve felt his gun waver. The woman smiled at him.

"You ruined my suit," she said. The smile faded from her face. "And my day." She shot. One shot. It echoed madly in the tiny cell, ricocheting from the walls. The noise stirred Hopper.

Steve opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. The gun that had been in his hand fell to the floor. He looked down and noticed the blood dripping from his fingers. He closed his eyes, awash with pain and heard Dustin cry out. He felt hands upon him. Robin's hands.

"You shot him," she said with fear.

"Relax! Only in the shoulder." She cocked the gun again. "A reminder of who's in charge." She smiled. "You want be next?"

Steve opened his eyes. He wasn't dying. He noticed Dustin looking at him with new-found respect and was suddenly glad he hadn't fainted. He would have never let him live it down.

"You okay, bud?" he asked.

Steve nodded and held onto his useless arm. "I'm okay."

The woman turned to the thin man. "Untie him," she said. "This place will be crawling with police in a few hours and we don't want to leave any evidence behind." The man picked up the fallen gun and walked over to Hopper as told. The woman was enjoying herself. "You children can come with us," she said. "I have a special treat for you." She grinned.

"We're okay, thanks," said Dustin.

She sneered at him. "You will be first," she said. "I don't like your attitude."

Robin put an arm around Dustin's shoulders. "He's just a boy," she said. The woman stared at her with white-hot hatred, but Robin held her gaze. Then she smiled. "She was your sister, wasn't she?"

The woman frowned. "What?"

Robin's smile grew. "The woman in the bookshop. She was your sister. I can see the likeness. I thought you were twins at first, but you're older, aren't you? I can see you have to dye your hair…"

The woman lowered her gun and narrowed her eyes. Robin stepped towards her. She felt Dustin clutch at her t-shirt, trying to pull her back, but she shrugged him off.

"I was thinking, when we ploughed into you just then, how funny it would be, if I was responsible for killing two sisters just minutes apart…"

The woman's nostrils were dilating in her fury.

"What is she doing?" Dustin looked at Steve who was ashen. His arm was soaked in blood now. He shrugged, unable to answer. Dustin swallowed nervously, waiting for the woman to strike Robin.

From behind them another gun was cocked.

"Put it down." The thin man, hidden by Robin stepped out and kept his gun pointed at the woman. "I said put it down." He walked towards her and smiled. "Or I'll wipe that sickening smile from your face," he said.

The woman curled her lip. "Coward," she said and spat at him.

The man flinched and then wiped his face with his hand. He aimed the gun higher, pointing it at the woman's forehead. "I would take great pleasure in killing you," he said.

The woman shrugged, as if she had lost a minor argument. She handed the gun over.

"Now what?" she said.

"I won't kill you in front of these kids," he said. "But I will kill you, when I decide the time is right." He glanced at Robin. "Leave," he said. "Go out and around the corner, there is a black Mercedes. Meet me there."

* * *

"We can't let them have El," Mike said.

Will shook his head. He knew that, but he didn't know what they could do to stop them from taking her. They were just kids. El groaned.

"What's wrong with her?" Mike looked at her and knew she was somewhere far away. Somewhere dark. Somewhere she might never come back from. He felt a surge of resentment towards Hopper. Why had she risked everything for him? The resentment vanished, replaced by guilt.

"Mike…?" Will was at the window. He turned and looked at Mike. "They're just sitting out there…"

"Maybe calling for backup. They think El's dangerous..." He glanced at her again. She was so pale, and her lips were tinged blue.

"Stupid of me to leave the car in plain sight…" Will mumbled to himself. He turned back to the window. The passenger side door was opening.

* * *

She could still see Hopper, but he was so far away and getting smaller and smaller and then he disappeared altogether. She tried to move, but something heavy was upon her. _The sky had fallen _she thought to herself. But it wasn't the sky. It was something else. And wasn't just on her, it was inside her. She felt it inside her head, churning up her brain. She struggled against it. Somehow, she knew she was fighting for her life. This thing, whatever it was, had found her inside her own mind and now she was stuck.

_You can't have me!_

She tried to scream, but the grey stuff stifled her. Blind panic arose. She couldn't be stuck there. She had to get out. Mike would save her… She felt tears burning against her face and knew it was hopeless. And even when she heard him calling her, begging her to wake up, she knew he couldn't save her. She tried to relax and stay calm. She needed all her strength to fight her own mind.

* * *

The man used a key to let them into the motel room where they lay Hopper down on the small double bed. He groaned, but he was alive.

It was like being inside a cardboard box. Brown walls, brown carpet, brown curtains. Dustin glanced at the man derisively.

The man noticed and gave him a flicker of a smile.

"They know what hotel we were staying at. They'll be after me and if they find me, they find you. No room service here of course, but safer." He discarded his torn jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "Do you have money?" he said.

"Why?" Dustin asked.

The man frowned. "I have very little chance of getting you out of here alive," he said. "But if I come across a problem…" he paused. "I would rather pay them, than kill them."

Steve, ashen faced, studied the man.

"Why did you do this?" he asked.

The man grimaced. "Single man revolution," he said, and Steve couldn't work out if he was joking or not.

Robin took the wad of Russian money out of her bag.

"Is this any good?" she asked.

The man grinned. "Couldn't be better," he said. He walked out of the motel room and drove away.

"And that's the last we'll see of him," said Dustin.

"No way," said Robin. "He wouldn't have gone to so much trouble to save us if was going to ditch us…" She trailed off. She was uneasy. She glanced at Steve who had eased himself, gingerly onto the bed next to Hopper. She could tell he was trying to be brave. She loved him for it and for the first time, wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. She blushed at the thought. _Wrong sex,_ she reminded herself.

She sat down on a small wooden chair and took in the scene; the blood, the wounds on Hopper's body. His torn and filthy clothes.

How were they ever going to get out of Alaska?

Dustin turned on a really old and really large television. He turned around grinning.

"Cool," he said. "The A-team!"

* * *

Mike was dragging El. It looked like he was dragging a rag doll. Will watched in horror.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Help me," Mike said. "Grab her legs."

Will turned away from the window. The passenger door was still open, but no one had got out. Everyone was just waiting. He went to Mike and picked up El's legs. She was surprisingly heavy. _Dead weight, _he inadvertently thought to himself.

"We need to wake her up," Mike said. They carried her to the bathroom. "Let's get her in the shower," he said. He was red faced and wet with sweat. Will didn't argue. He knew what Mike wanted to do. It was worth a shot.

* * *

An odd calm had settled upon El. It reminded her of the years spent in captivity. In isolation. There was nothing to do but wait. Bad stuff was happening around her, but she kept her head and kept calm.

And then something was happening. She had no control over it, but it wasn't the monster in her mind, it was something else. She felt as if thousands of needles were jabbing her flesh. Torturing her. She was deluged by the cold and then she heard Mike's voice again. He was calling her.

The cold got inside her head and numbed her and then, quite suddenly, she felt free.

She gasped as if taking her first breath and opened her eyes.

She saw Mike's smiling face. "You're back," he said with a smile.

Outside, a car door slammed.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: so sorry this has taken so long to update. Been focusing on my latest novel. I hope it was worth the wait... let me know :-)


	21. Chapter 21

Sergei Prokofiev was gently tapping the steering wheel in time to his slow and steady heartbeat. He had always been adept at controlling his emotions, but Dmitri was pushing him to his limits. He sat beside him with the passenger door open picking his teeth with the torn edge of an old matchbox. The sound of his large lips sucking over his teeth was jarring him. And it wasn't just that. Everything he did was loud. He _rustled _in his clothes. No one should rustle in their clothes. Sergei sighed and closed his eyes. He longed to get this over with. Get the girl and get out. Before he shot his comrade. Or himself.

Dmitri dispensed with the picking and began humming. Then he sniffed and began to pick at a fingernail. He was enjoying the cool breeze wafting in through the open door. He glanced over and saw Sergei's white knuckles on the steering wheel and guessed he was tense. He leant forward and put the radio on, hoping it might relax his colleague. The Rolling Stones were on. He cranked up the volume and sang along, tunelessly.

Mercifully, in time to save Sergei's sanity and Dmitri's life, the comms radio crackled. Dmitri muted Mick Jagger and picked up his walkie-talkie.

"Da…" He glanced at Sergei, smiling and replaced the handset. "Okay," he said. "We go in and get the girl and get rid of the others."

Sergei made no comment. He was relieved. He desperately wanted to kill someone. He opened his door and unfolded his frame out of the car. He felt the warmth of the sun on him and smiled. It was a good day to kill.

* * *

"Mike!" Mike heard the note of panic in Will's voice and swivelled his head around towards him. Will's eyes were wide with fear. "We're out of time," he said.

Mike turned back to El.

"Can you get up?"

El looked up at him. She nodded slowly. Everything hurt. Inside and out.

"I think so," she said. Her voice sounded strange to her, as if it didn't belong to her. She stood up. It wasn't just her voice that felt as if didn't belong… She saw the way Mike was looking at her.

"You okay?" he asked. He sounded nervous.

"I'm not sure," she said.

"Mike!" Will's voice was full of alarm now. "They have guns…" His voice trailed off.

Mike didn't know what they were going to do. El was in no fit state to go anywhere. He suddenly felt as if he had no fight left in him. He smiled at El. He loved her so much.

"I guess time's up," he said. He shrugged. "Did you find Hopper at least?"

_Hopper_

El screwed up her eyes tight. She had forgotten about Hopper. How could she have? She felt her brain churning inside her head. It was still in there. Waiting. She opened her eyes and nodded.

"He's alive," she said.

Mike smiled with relief. At least El wouldn't carry the burden of guilt around with her. She had done all she could.

"I guess we go quietly," he said.

Someone shouted from outside. A thick Russian accent.

"Time to come out children. Or we start shooting."

* * *

Dimitri spat on the ground. "Do we have to keep the girl alive?"

Sergei glanced over at Dimitri. It was a stupid question, but he was a stupid man.

"Yes," he said carefully. "We have to keep the girl alive. That is the _only _reason we're here." He paused waiting for Dimitri to catch up. Dimitri stared balefully ahead. "This has all been for the girl," Sergei clarified.

"They're toying with us," Dimitri said.

Sergei looked back to the house. For once he agreed with his comrade.

"Ya nenavizhu detey," he said vehemently. He carefully withdrew his gun and ran his hands lovingly over the black metal. He took a careful step towards the house as the front door slowly opened.

The next thing Sergei Prokofiev remembers is flying through the air and his beloved gun arching beautifully above him.

* * *

"Open the door," El said. There was something in her voice. Will glanced at Mike.

"El?" Mike put out a hand to touch her, but she shrugged him off. She was staring ahead. Her eyes were fixed upon the door.

"Open it," she said.

Mike put himself between El and the door.

"You can't, El," he said. She turned her gaze on Mike. He had never seen her eyes so dark. It looked as if they were full of shadow. He faltered. He backed towards the door as she walked towards him.

"Open it," she said again and this time, Mike didn't argue.

With shaking hands, he unlocked the door and then slowly opened it. El placed herself in the doorway. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and held out a hand. Mike and Will stood behind her and watched. Her body was rigid, and Mike noticed the muscles in her neck bulge. Outside, they saw two men fly through the air and the car lift up, like a horse rearing, and then overbalance and land on its side.

One of the men shouted out in surprise. The other man stood up, but before he could retrieve his gun, he was slammed backwards into the fallen car.

El lowered her hand and crumpled to a heap on the ground.

* * *

"He's waking up…" Steve and Robin turned to look at Hopper. "What do we do now?" Dustin looked more scared of the man, half-dead on the bed, than he had been facing a gun.

"Get some water," Robin said. Dustin looked around vacantly. "From the bathroom!" She walked over to the bed and sat down gingerly. Hopper was blinking as if trying to get sight back into his eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She wasn't a very good nurse and recoiled from the idea of putting a hand on his forehead. Hopper smacked his lips together and groaned slightly.

Dustin returned with the water. "Here," he said.

Robin stood up. "Give it to him," she said.

"No way." He thrust the full glass of water towards her.

"So, because I'm the girl, I have to give him the water?"

"I'll give him the water!" Steve took the glass from Dustin, wincing as he did so. He felt quite smug. "What's wrong with you both?" He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Do you need water?" he asked. Despite Hopper looking only half the man he had been, there was still something formidable about him and it wasn't just that he had the look of someone perpetually angry. Steve didn't ever want to be on the wrong side of him.

Hopper focused on Steve's face. "What are you doing here?" His voice was raspy.

"Just drink," Steve said showing him the glass.

"Where's El?"

"I don't know…"

"You don't know?" Hopper tried to sit up, but he groaned and collapsed back into the bed. "I need to find her," he said.

"You can't go anywhere right now," Steve said. He took the blood soaked towel away from his shoulder. He wasn't in pain anymore and he wondered if the numbness was overall a bad thing. "We're not exactly difficult to miss."

Hopper shut his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, Steve noticed the ice in them. He swallowed nervously.

"She's in danger and I need to find her," he said. "Where's the woman who was holding me?"

"I ran her over," Steve said.

"And now she's locked in the same cell you were in…" Dustin's smile faded when Hopper turned his frosty gaze upon him.

"You think this is funny?" He tried sitting up again and this time managed. He looked back at Steve, at the wound in his shoulder. "What were you thinking? What were any of you thinking?"

"You're welcome by the way…" Robin lifted her chin and stared resolutely at Hopper. "I mean, we just saved your life."

Hopper shook his head. He moved again and winced with the pain.

"You don't understand," he said.

"Oh, I understand," Robin said. "I recognise ingratitude when I see. I've put up with it for years."

Hopper sighed. He took the glass that Steve still held in his hand and took a sip, then another and another until he had drained the glass. All the time, he watched Robin over the rim. Then he handed the glass back to Steve.

"He wasn't going to let her kill me," he said. He wiped a hand wearily across his face. "All you've done is got yourself shot and put your own lives in danger." He gestured to Dustin. "A child's life…"

Hopper slid his legs off the bed. "I need to get cleaned up," he said.

"You need to rest." Steve put the glass down and stood up. "You can't go anywhere like that," he said.

Hopper glanced down at his bloody clothes and the wound that still leaked.

"She needs me," he said brokenly. Then he looked up at Steve again. "Did you have a plan?" he asked. "I need to warn her. I need to get to her."

* * *

"Mike…"

"I see it…" Mike didn't take his eyes from El, but he could feel Will trembling beside him.

"What is it?"

Mike shook his head. He called her name, but he knew she couldn't hear. She was surrounded by something. It was as if she was being wrapped in a grey shroud made from air. It billowed around her and lapped against her body hungrily.

They watched in morbid fascination and then, as suddenly as it appeared, it seemed to sigh and fade to nothing.

El stirred.

Outside a car pulled up. Will saw through the open door. He jumped over El.

"Mom!"


	22. Chapter 22

There was a mad scramble. The car screeching to a stop. Doors opening, Joyce spilling out. Nancy. Jonathan. Max. Lucas. Incoherent screams of delight and relief. Joyce snatched Will into her arms and kept him against her chest until he struggled to free himself. She was smiling down at him, but her brown eyes were clouded with worry. The fallen car was hiding the fallen men, but they were still there, somewhere.

"We need to leave. Now!"

Jonathan resisted more than a cursory hug with his brother.

Mike stumbled down the steps and Max ran to him.

"Where's El?" she asked, fearful.

"I need help with her," Mike said.

Jonathan turned to his Mom. "Take the Wheeler car," he said. "Get out of here with Will and the others." He turned to Nancy. She was behind him on the steps. A look towards her brother convinced her he was okay. He wouldn't want a hug.

"I'm with you guys," she said. To Mike; "you okay?"

He nodded. "El's not though…" His sister was pale, and he wondered if she had been hurt. "Are you okay?" She smiled at him, reassuring.

Will handed his mom keys to the Wheeler car. He looked towards Mike, not wanting to abandon him, but he knew his mom wouldn't let him out of her sight again.

"Let's go!" Joyce said. She thumped the horn. "Lucas stood by Will, torn. He watched as Max was turned away by Jonathan and she stumbled back down the steps towards him. There was no reason whey they couldn't all get away safely.

"We can't all fit in one car," Lucas said to Max. "Let Jonathan and Nancy help with El…" Max hated being told what to do. He trod carefully. "This is the car they'll think El is in…" He trailed off. If they left now, it might give the others a chance to get El hidden.

It made sense to Max. She jumped into the back of the Wheeler car with Lucas. Joyce turned over the ignition and allowed herself a moment of relief as her son sat beside her and strapped himself in.

She turned in the dirt and stopped. Then she opened her door and jumped out.

"Just wait," she said and ran towards the Mercedes. She had seen one of the men move. She looked down at their prostrate bodies. One of them had blood trickling from a wound on his head. His eyes were closed. The other one was wincing as he moved. He looked at Joyce and smiled.

Joyce leaned down and snatched away the gun that was just beyond his reach. It felt cold and heavy in her hand. She pointed it at the man and cocked it. The man's blue eyes held hers. He wasn't afraid. He knew she wouldn't kill him. She turned the gun and shot through the window of the car, destroying the comms radio that had been crackling.

She wouldn't kill him, but at least they couldn't call for help. She smiled back at him and ran back to the idling car.

El was walking down the stairs between Mike and Jonathan. Her complexion looked almost grey. Her eyes were closed, and her head was lolling to the side.

"What happened?" Jonathan asked.

Mike shook his head. He didn't understand and couldn't put it into words.

"Has she got her powers back?" Nancy was at the car. She was holding the passenger door open.

Mike nodded. _And some,_ he thought.

Nancy drove. Jonathan was beside her and Mike was in the back with El laying across his lap.

"Let's go," he said.

Nancy put her foot down on the accelerator and followed Joyce. "Where to?" she said.

No one answered.

* * *

"He's back," Dustin said. He recognised the black Mercedes, but he didn't recognise the flashy white car that pulled up behind him. A door opened and a woman got out. "It's a woman," he said. He looked at Steve. "What's the betting this one is no saner than the others?"

There was a knock at the door. No one moved.

"Open it," Hopper said. "I trust him…" He swallowed nervously.

Robin went to the door. The thin man bowled in. He smiled awkwardly. "This is Mina," he said by way of introduction. She is putting a lot at risk by being here, so please, no questions. Just let her work."

Mina scowled at the room in general and walked over to Hopper. She had a black bag that she opened on the bedside table.

"You're a doctor?" Steve said incredulously. She was dressed in a short, low-cut, white dress and her dark hair hung in silky waves around her shoulders.

"A doctor who was enjoying a prestigious soiree with the Prince of Andorra."

"I hope I more than made up for it," the thin man said. The woman gave a non-committal grunt in reply.

"What did you do with all the money?" Robin whispered to him.

He gestured to the woman. "She's an expensive doctor," he said.

"Is she involved with those people?"

The thin man nodded. "But let us say, her allegiance is to the person who pays the most." He smiled ruefully. "And she has friends in high places. She will walk out of here and will never breath a word of this. No one will even ask her."

"This man needs a hospital," the woman barked. She stood up. "Some of his wounds are old and infected." She rummaged in her bag and produced a needle. She squirted the contents into the air and then turned back to Hopper. A warm smile transformed her face. "This will take the edge of your pain," she said to him.

"What about Steve?" Dustin said. "He's been shot too."

Mina looked at Steve. "Have you stemmed the bleeding?" she said.

Steve nodded, transfixed by her blue eyes, and more. She offered Steve a brief smile.

"Turn," she said. Steve turned around awkwardly. He felt her cool fingers as she explored his shoulder. "The bullet has gone through. You won't die. Yet." She smiled, brightly. She rummaged in her bag again and produced a bottle of pills. "If it's not hurting now, it will be, and you'll need these." She handed the bottle to Steve.

He took them wordlessly and pain, that had been dormant, suddenly exploded into life. He screwed up his face, feeling like a fraud.

"Take two," Mina said. "Gun shot wounds are painful." She stood up. "This is quite a mess," she said in general.

"What next?" Dustin said. "We need to get out of Alaska."

"Already taken care of," the man said. "Not all the money was spent on the good doctor."

Mina walked over to the thin man. "Ariana is dead," she said. The man nodded. "Did you kill Alana?" she asked. He shook his head, slowly. "Hmm. A mistake, I think." She sighed. "You should leave too." She looked at Robin and smiled and then sighed, as if making her mind up. "Come," she said. "Follow me. I will get you through security at least…"

* * *

It had been a bad day. Sergei Prokofiev was bruised, and bleeding and the girl had escaped. They would be held accountable. He got gingerly to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothes. Still lying face down in the dirt was Dimitri. He groaned. He was still alive then.

He rolled his comrade onto this back. He had been lying on his gun. Sergei picked it up. Dimitri groaned again and his eyes flickered open.

"What happened?" he asked.

"The girl happened," Sergei said. He smiled. "You're having a worse day than me," he said.

Dimitri frowned as Sergei raised the gun.

The last thing Dimitri thought before Sergei put a bullet in his brain, was he must not have liked the Rolling Stones.

* * *

There was a grinding noise from somewhere close by. The woman listened intently. It was making the ground shake. She smiled. Someone was trying to get to her.

Her colleague, who had refused to ever allow his name to be used, would rue the day he hadn't killed her. Now she would kill him. She licked her lips in anticipation.


End file.
